Groundbreakers in Action: Feeding the Future - Jaivian Hughes
Community Development Programs Serve as a Recipe for Success
Sometimes the most powerful way to shift a community is through the revolutionary, steady work of sharing who you are and what you love.
For Jaivian Hughes, an Aspen Young Leadership Fellowship Fellow, (AYLF) leadership didn’t begin with a protest sign or a podium. It began with food — with using his hands, honoring his family’s traditions, and discovering how a meal can bring people together, spark conversation, and build trust. Cooking became his way of showing up for others, of offering care, of giving people a sense of home. It became his way of giving back.
AYLF saw the heart in his work long before the world caught on. They reminded him that change making isn’t limited into one lane, and making a difference doesn’t require you to change who you are: it asks you to lean into it. And in doing so, they helped his passion rise into purpose, proving that leadership can be plated, served, and shared just as meaningfully as it can be shouted.
Read about Jaivian’s path to culinary service in his own words…
The kitchen has always been my happy place.
I was in seventh grade when my mom asked me to help bake the chicken for Thanksgiving dinner. Although it was a little hard for her to admit, it came out better than she had ever made it. I ended up cooking nearly the entire meal that year.
As the eldest child and grandchild, I had the privilege of helping out in the kitchen with my great-grandmother, watching as she made magic out of the simplest of ingredients. It was sometime after that year’s Thanksgiving dinner that I realized I wanted to make a career out of cooking. I just didn’t know where to start.
I wouldn’t figure it out until the end of my sophomore year of college. That’s when I first learned about the Aspen Young Leaders Fellowship program, a national program that equips young people with the resilience, confidence, and skills to grow as leaders and make a difference in their communities. I joined the Mississippi Delta Cohort of AYLF during my junior year and will be forever grateful for the experience.
At AYLF, I wasn’t just a name on their roster. It was clear that they truly cared about me and my aspirations to build a culinary career. I received both individual support and opportunities to work with other Fellows who were just as dedicated to personal development and making an impact as I was. AYLF saw something in me that this kid from Metcalf, Mississippi, didn’t always see in myself. They were eager to help me build the future I dreamed of and taught me the importance of being a mentor to others.
The guidance and support I received from AYLF cannot be overstated. Well-meaning family members told me I was making a mistake by pursuing a culinary profession — that I should’ve followed my second passion and gone to veterinary school. But, I knew my advisors and peers were in my corner cheering me on every step of the way.
Since my time in AYLF, I have earned a Bachelor’s degree in Culinary Arts and Hospitality from the University of Mississippi and am currently working toward my master’s in Hospitality at Ole Miss. I am the proud owner of my very own catering business, Hella Full, and also work part-time at Chick-fil-A, which offers me a window into the restaurant industry and a crash course in exceptional hospitality.
My culinary talents have taken me all over the world. I was able to participate in an internship program in Tokyo, where I worked in a Japanese-Jamaican fusion restaurant and learned about cooking across cultures. Earlier this year, I spent several months cooking in kitchens in Florence, Italy, through a study abroad program, being the only Black man to attend. I’ve cooked for events serving more than 300 people and built a name for myself in my hometown. I was even able to give back to my AYLF family and cater their graduation ceremony in June.
The Aspen Young Leaders Fellowship opened so many doors for me. As a beneficiary of AYLF’s programming and support, I consider it my duty to give back to future Fellows and further its mission to invest in and inspire the next generation of leaders. I became a Senior Fellow upon completion of the program, which involves creating experiences for new cohorts. I developed a two-day event called Black of All Trades, where I offered a taste test of Hella Full’s first menu while having an important discussion about health and violence.
While life has certainly given me incredible opportunities, I am not an exception. There are young people across the Mississippi Delta just like me who have big dreams. They just need someone to believe in them and invest in their futures. The Aspen Young Leaders Fellowship has taught me and so many others the importance of passion, practice, and patience. It gave me essential tools and connections to get me where I am today. The work AYLF does, backed by major sponsors like the Walton Family Foundation, is urgent and necessary to shape the futures of our next generation and ultimately the future of our world.
As a child of the Delta, I never imagined just how far my love of cooking would take me — from cooking soul food in my great-grandmother’s kitchen to preparing authentic Italian cuisine across the world in Florence. Every young person, regardless of where they grow up, deserves to reach their full potential. I am a testament to that.