CCHS graduate Paul Niedermann won the last season of Hell’s Kitchen. He is one of many successful CCHS alumni.
When Paul Niedermann was a student at Cooper City High School, he dreamt of becoming a chef. Fast forward nine years and you’ll find that the 2002 graduate has found success in ways he never thought possible. Millions of viewers tuned into Fox’s Hell’s Kitchen Season 9 finale to find that Niedermann won the coveted grand prize. As he walked into his own viewing party at his alma mater, Johnson and Whales University, with employees running around with his name printed on their shirts, camera crews awaiting interviews and a giant “Winner” banner, Niedermann knew that this is what he was meant to do.
Immersed in calculus, world history and chemistry, it’s difficult to envision life after high school. The interests we hold during our four years of high school may in fact become thriving careers. A number of CCHS grads, like Niedermann, proved that it is possible to accomplish the dreams they had while attending high school.
When he was a senior in high school, Niedermann dual enrolled at Sheridan Technical Center, where he spent the first half of the day learning about the culinary field in a hands on environment until he returned to school for academics. His early interest in cooking stemmed from his father, a retired executive chef.
“I tried to hold a “real job,” but I just had to keep moving,” Niedermann said of becoming a chef. “Plus, I’m pretty good at it.”
As Junior Sous Chef at the St. Regis Bal Harbor Resort’s J&G Grill, Niedermann was used to working under pressure. A self-proclaimed “cocky” person, he used his confidence to surge through Hell’s Kitchen. This confidence is what led Niedermann to win the contest and the grand prize: a job as executive chef at BLT Steak in New York City and a $250,000 salary.
“I just want to cook,” Niedermann said. “I’ve got a lot to learn. I want to take the prize money and get lost in Italy. You learn by living and eating.”
Niedermann saw what he wanted and went for it full force, even when it seemed unrealistic. This is also true for 2008 graduate Michael Worley, who, even while faced with adversity, became a success before he finished college.
Worley’s interest in politics and communication began in high school, where he was captain of the Cooper City High School debate team and an editorial writer for the school paper, The Lariat.
“When I was a student at CCHS, my political beliefs were questioned by one of my teachers,” Worley said. “It turned into a big opportunity to get involved in the change I wanted to see.”
This thought quickly turned into action, as he became an intern on the Obama campaign the summer after he graduated. During the presidential election, Worley became active in college politics, forming a college democrats chapter at Barry University, which he attended for two years. In 2010, Michael was elected as the National Communications Director for the College Democrats of America (CDA), the official student arm of the Democratic Party, where he worked to re-brand the organization. During his term, Michael’s micro targeting methods led to an increase of CDA’s twitter account from 2,790 (in November of 2010) to 22,000 (in November of 2011).
After becoming Chapter President on a state and national level, Worley decided it was important to reside in Washington D.C. and transferred to American University, which has one of the best political science programs in the nation. There was only one thing standing in his way – money.
“I had to financially support myself,” Worley said. “I had two part time jobs and took on paid internships.”
With an apartment on top of Embassy Row, the “best area in D.C.,” Worley had to come up with a new financial plan. He created MDW Communications, which specializes in graphic design for political, commercial and non-profit clientele. Once the business got launched, he began making a considerable amount of money.
“The difference between successful people and those who are not is the ability to see things through,” Worley said. “I wouldn’t have been able to stay in D.C. if I didn’t finish.”
Worley entered college with the notion of having a typical experience. Instead, he learned more outside the classroom and got creative with his own ideas.
“It wasn’t the traditional experience, and for that I’m thankful,” he said.
Leadership has been a common factor among CCHS graduates. 2003 graduate Emily Blatter has taken the term to a new level while satisfying her many interests before and after attending Brown University.
An overachiever in high school, Blatter described herself as goal oriented and very involved in the school community. Her main ambition was to attend a top university, where she could study subjects such as history, political science and theater.
Blatter graduated from Brown in 2007 and majored in International Relations with a focus in anthropology, Latin American studies and human rights. After graduating, she joined Teach for America, a nonprofit organization that gives less fortunate children a chance to have a decent education. Blatter taught US History and English to 7th and 8th graders in Harlem, N.Y.
“I felt lucky to grow up with such a privileged education in Cooper City, and was angered by the fact that students growing up in poverty did not have the same educational standards or opportunities,” Blatter said.
After she finished her term in the classroom with Teach for America, Blatter joined Teach for America’s recruitment team to find strong teachers to continue teaching her students and children like them around the country. After spending three years recruiting at schools such as Yale, Williams and Vanderbilt, she moved to Nashville, Tennessee to become the Regional Director of recruitment for Tennessee and Alabama. In this position, she manages the team’s recruitment efforts at all major universities and colleges around the region and is responsible for producing a significant amount of corps members to join Teach for America’s 2012 corps.
“While in the classroom, I saw the impact that school leadership and local political leadership had on school effectiveness and realized how effective school leadership can allow teachers and students to achieve significant goals,” Blatter said.
While in high school, Niedermann believed he would become a brownie taster, Worley imagined an average college experience and Blatter saw herself as a lawyer or senator. None of these former CCHS students imagined they would find so much success. They have accomplished much in their young lives, making us proud to call them Cowboy alumni.
