Roshara Sanders ‘14

Assistant Professor, School of Culinary Arts, The Culinary Institute of America (CIA); Hyde Park, NY

Roshara Sanders ’14 Chef Roshara has recently been named 2024 Food and Wine Game Changers in the country. The fire and passion are unmatched, and the accolades are well deserved in her 10+ year journey in the industry. Before becoming a professor at The Culinary Institute of America she worked in the prestigious 1-star Oceana restaurant in Midtown NYC. Roshara was hired in 2020 and became the first African American women to teach Culinary at the Culinary Institute of America. Chef Roshara story begins after being deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan as a member of the 4th Engineer Battalion, Roshara served as an automated logistical specialist responsible for supervising warehouse functions to maintain equipment records and parts. When Roshara returned to the stateside she joined the 395th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion and could cross train as a food supply specialist. “I was passionate about cooking,” If it weren’t for theGI Bill I wouldn’t have gone to the Culinary Institute of America or any college for that matter. It was a blessing, and it made my dream a reality.” Roshara’s hard work has not gone unnoticed. She holds Campaign Medals from Iraq and Afghanistan, a Navy/Marine Achievement Medal, and she was the December 2014 Chef of the Month for Chef Works, an international foodservice uniform company.       

Roshara was sponsored by Remy Martin Cognac Company and inducted into the Circle of Centaurs mentorship program. On November 11, 2015, Roshara was featured on a special Veteran’s Day episode of Food Network’s hit show “Chopped” that included military vets competing from every branch Army, Marines, Air Force, and Navy. Roshara won the competition beating chefs twice her age and experience! In 2016, NBC Black named Chef Roshara Sanders to their annual “28 Under 28” list alongside other inspiring African Americans like Cam Newton. Roshara currently serves as a celebrity ambassador for Habitat for Humanity International and most recently traveled to Malawi on behalf of the organization.       

Chef Roshara Sanders presented a feature dinner at the prestigious James Beard House in New York City in November of 2018 in honor of Veterans Day. In 2018, she also received a coveted Forbes Fellow designation at the 2018 Forbes 30 Under 30 Summit in Boston. (Hyde Park, NY)