February 16, 2023

A native of Baltimore with a love of food and family, Charlise Williams came to Drexel to pursue her passion for culinary arts. Williams met Rosemary Trout, assistant professor and program director for Culinary Arts and Food Science, at the Philly Chef Conference, an annual event that brings together the local food community and showcases the latest in food and beverage. This connection solidified William’s interest in pursuing her education at Drexel, and this ambitious student came to class prepared with prior certifications in knife skills and food entrepreneurship.

Williams knows that the key to success in class and in the kitchen is preparation. After excelling in her high school program, Williams chose Drexel because of its small program size and interdisciplinary curriculum which allows for non-major students to take culinary arts classes. Williams says that she enjoys learning from a variety of perspectives and that the opportunity to receive mentorship from senior students is invaluable. In addition to her studies, Williams serves as treasurer for the Black Student Union at Drexel and holds a seat as an active member of the Board for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at CNHP.

Williams’ future in food is bright. She dreams of opening a farm-to-table restaurant in New York or Philadelphia, after a brief world tour that follows in the footsteps of chef and food writer, Anthony Bourdain. Williams plans to begin her international cuisine adventured in Africa to explore medicinal approaches to food and spices and then onto France for cheese and wine and finishing up in Spain for modernist entrees and desserts. In addition to cooking and traveling, Williams adores the Netflix series, “High on the Hog”, which documents the legacy of soul food from Africa to America. Food activism matters to Williams as much as flavor and shows like this emphasize how food histories have been co-opted from Black communities. Williams is committed to shining in her field and sharing these important stories about food culture – and making it taste good too.