2025 Meet OCC Grad: Dale Close

Dale Close may not remember the exact moment his love of cooking began, but there’s a good chance it started in his grandma’s kitchen. It was there that she encouraged “her little chef” to join her in some early morning baking by her side. For Dale, those moments stirred a passion that led him straight to OCC.

“I remember back before my grandmother passed away, when I was like 12, we did a lot of baking together, and a lot of it was from scratch,” shared Dale. “Doing that over, and over again – cooking for churches, helping her out – it triggered something in me. It was like, ‘This is kind of fun.’ And it just continued from there.”

Although he was ready to jump into a culinary career, Dale was just beginning high school. He knew exactly what he wanted to do but was too young to fully dive in. He needed someone to help light the way forward. He found Chef Julie.

After learning about the Culinary program at OCC, Dale went on the College’s website, found an email address and inquired about the enrollment requirements. Despite being too young to begin at the time, persistence led him to meeting Chef Julie and others from OCC’s Culinary team. That connection led him to start OCC’s Early College program just a couple years later. 

“I first started at OCC as a high school student,” said Dale. “I went through Chef Julie, who was the coordinator of the Culinary Studies Institute. I couldn’t start right away since I was too young. But I was emailing her all the time about how to get in and when I could start. That formed a really good dynamic between us.”

“Chef Julie always told me that hard work beats talent. That’s something I’ve carried with me since I was 14. She always reciprocated my passion, and I really appreciate her for that.”

Eventually, his persistence paid off. Starting at age 16, Dale took high school classes during the day and culinary classes at night. 

“Culinary classes go for five or six hours,” said Dale. “I would leave high school at three and go back to my culinary studies at five, then not leave until 10 at night. When you’re that young, it puts a strain on you. But I focused on my goal and that helped me just keep pushing myself forward.”

His parents supported him and drove him to evening classes. They also encouraged him to keep going when the challenges of juggling all of this as a teenager felt overwhelming. 

“My dad really pushed and encouraged me,” he said. “He would pick me up from school. He bought a lot of my culinary stuff. He just made sure my whole experience was as smooth as possible. I really appreciated him for that.”

Despite the long hours and challenging classes, Dale completed his successful college recipe. Now, he’s graduating with his Associate in Applied Science - Culinary Arts degree and looks forward to his next challenge. With plans to achieve his Certified Culinarian credentials through the American Culinary Federation, he dreams of one day running his own catering business. 

He is grateful for Chef Julie and the OCC culinary team, who gave him the inspiration needed to take each step, including the opportunity to work in a real-world kitchen at a local country club.  

“That experience was really fun,” said Dale. “When you’re in it, it's like orchestrating a whole band. You’re telling tuba, ‘You do that,’ and clarinet, ‘You do this.’ When it all comes together, it’s like a great symphony.”

Dale joins his fellow graduates, proud of the journey he completed. He also remembers those who helped him through the years leading to this moment, including his grandmother, who took the time to inspire an inquisitive child – sparking a fire that would not be quenched.

“Walking across that stage, shaking hands with all the people who helped me along the way, it’s going to feel like a culmination of everything – the support, the effort and knowing a whole new chapter is starting right after this.”

Dale Close is graduating with an Associate in Applied Science – Culinary Arts. Dale dreams of one day running his own catering business. He joins more than 1,900 OCC 2025 graduates empowered to succeed. Join them in starting your someday, today.