Classically trained in vocal performance and jazz, Amy Chicavich discovered that the place where she makes the most beautiful music is in the kitchen.
“I love eating. I love food. I love everything about it. It’s like
music for me, a whole-body experience,” says Amy Chicavich, a former senior
airman in the United States Air Force. While completing her Bachelor of
Music Performance and Jazz Studies at California State University, Long
Beach, Amy was approached by a recruiter in the military music field
about upcoming auditions. “I didn’t grow up in a military family and I
didn’t have a lot of knowledge about it,” Amy says. “I’m from Northern
California where there isn’t a big military presence, so it was a new
idea to me.” She aced the audition and won a position with the Air
Combat Command Heritage of America Band stationed at Langley Air Force
Base in Virginia.
“Our deployment was kind of like the USO, to support and entertain
the troops but, unlike the USO, we went to active bases,” recalls Amy.
“As active duty military, we were able to go to smaller bases that were a
little more dangerous, a little more out there. We were deployed to
areas in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Oman where we
performed for the moral of the troops. That was our main mission.”
After four years, Amy was ready for a new challenge, and a culinary
career seemed like a natural fit. “I always cooked with my mom and my
grandmothers as a little girl. Preparing food was a family activity. I’m
first-generation American from two different ethnic backgrounds. My
mother is from Scotland and my dad is from Mexico. Food plays a big part
in both cultures,” says Amy. “My Mexican grandmother taught me how to
make beans and rice and enchiladas, which were staples growing up, and
my mother is a fantastic baker. We have family traditions like reciting
Address to the Haggis every Robert Burns Day and making tamales every
Christmas. These things really brought us together as a family and it
was a huge part of my upbringing.”
Amy’s husband James also served in the military as a sergeant in the
United States Army with the 4th Psychological Operations Group, part of
the Special Operations Command. They met through mutual friends and
married in May 2011.
“When we separated from the military, the GI Bill made it possible
for both of us to go to school,” says Amy “James is finishing his degree
in criminal justice at Marist. Coming to the CIA was a no-brainer. I
chose it because it’s the best. I didn’t want to go halfway. I wanted to
take advantage of the premier culinary education available in the
world. It’s a place that challenges you, and I was ready for a new
challenge. This is where I needed to be. James gave me the confidence to
enroll and encourages me everyday. If it wasn’t for the military, I
wouldn’t have had this incredible opportunity.”
The transition from military to civilian life involved some
challenges. “James and I were fully engrossed in the military lifestyle.
We lived it,” explains Amy. “Stepping away from that is a big deal
after experiencing some of the things we have both stateside and on
overseas deployment. People don’t always understand what we’ve been
through. Thankfully, the CIA has great advocacy and support for veterans. I’ve been welcomed with open arms.”
Part of the transition that was seamless was the change from one
uniform to another. “It’s really easy for me to come to school every day
wearing a uniform correctly and with pride. That was something I was
used to,” says Amy. “I wear the veteran lapel pin and the Air Force pin
proudly and people recognize it. All the faculty and staff I’ve had
interactions with have been supportive and grateful for my service.”
Her military background and training has served Amy well on campus.
“The biggest thing I’ve notice in the transition from the military to
attending the CIA is the discipline: being able to show up on time to
class, having all my assignments done, having self control in the
kitchen—we call it military bearing—and acting like a professional at
all times.”
Amy is confident in her decision to come to the CIA. “I love that the
people I’m surrounded by share my passion. I love that the professors
and chefs are fully engaged and live for food. The pedigree of the
faculty is incredible and it’s humbling to be learning from the most
esteemed professionals from around the world,” Amy says. “And I love
that my classmates and I all started on a level playing field and we
learn as one team. No one is better than the other and we’re all working
towards a greater food experience.”
In her quest for a successful culinary career, Amy Chicavich is definitely hitting all the right notes.