Daniel Fulginiti is a standout, his story of returning to Vincentia high as a teacher and bringing with him his hospitality knowledge of the industry and his talented skills as a Chef to teach and aspire the students at Vincentia high.
After completing his apprenticeship, Daniel took the opportunity to work with Head Chef Darren Simpson in Sydney at the acclaimed hatted restaurant Aqualuna, it was there Daniel honed his skills as a passionate and innovative chef.
Daniel’s experience gained in a career as a chef is priceless and inspiring, allowing him to give the hospitality students real life stories to encourage them into an industry full of opportunities.
Daniel
What is your job title and where are you based?
TAS Teacher Vincentia High School Vincentia (Hospitality/Food Technology).
Where did you go to school?
Vincentia High School Graduate 1999
Where did you train?
Nowra TAFE Bomaderry campus under Barry (God) Pawsey and Luke Deville.
And what was your first job in hospitality?
My first job was as a kitchen hand at Adam and Eves Garden of Eatin as a kitchen hand/Prep assistant when I was 14.
What is the highlight of your career?
I won a few state apprentice competitions (world skills, restaurant caterers), Celebrity chef dinnersco-ordinated by TAFE, Cooking for some pretty famous people at Aqua-Luna and working with my peers on the heroes of destiny’s dinner TAFE.
What drives your passion?
My passion now is driven by wanting to pass on information and skills. I still love cooking and creating, however, at this point in my career I am driven to encourage and inspire young people to consider a career in hospitality.
Having grown and completed your education and training locally and then through your career journey left the Shoalhaven, why have you come back to the Shoalhaven home?
The main driver to come back was to bring up my family, I have three young daughters and the Shoalhaven is such a great central location that is close to both Sydney and Canberra. I grew up here and couldn’t imagine bringing kids up anywhere else.
What’s your advice for following a career in hospitality?
Have a strong work ethic, Always surround yourself with people that are either going to push you to better yourself or have high expectations. Also don’t become complacent, if you don’t have passion it’s probably time to move on. The beauty of this industry is that the options for work are endless.
