KILLEEN, Texas — A retired veteran is changing careers once again.
Shannon Christopher, a Central Texas College culinary student, has served in the Army for 20 years as a nurse. Before that, she worked many jobs to find her passion.
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“I didn't go into the Army until I was 33-years-old, so that was a new step for me and now at 55, I am doing something new. It's never too late to do something new, if you are in something you don’t like change it up,” said Christopher.
Since she was a young girl, Christopher has been cooking in the kitchen making recipes inspired by her grandmother. Going in to the Army with all the food she tasted around the world, she started taking cooking seriously in 2012. She knew the kitchen would be her next stop.
“I grew up with my grandmother cooking soul food and so I mix it with Middle Eastern food, I mix it with Asian food, I mix it with South American food,” said Christopher.
Her specialty is soul food-infused cuisine.
Leola’s kitchen, inspired by her grandmother, will be the name of her food truck serving Central Texas.
“It's all going to be good, I’m jumping in the deep end which is the way I like to do things it’s the way I did things in the Army and I am just hoping for the best," said Christopher.
The grand opening for Leola’s kitchen will be on April 8th. She will be catering the solar eclipse event at CTC.
