2016 Penn State alumna Gabi Chappel made her dream a reality when she secured a win for Gordon Ramsay’s team on FOX’s Next Level Chef on May 9.
Chappel, who majored in broadcast journalism and Spanish with a minor in international studies during her time at Penn State, said she took an adventurous career path before arriving on season three of Next Level Chef.
“By my senior year at Penn State, I felt I was faced with two choices — pursue my dream of becoming an on-camera journalist, or go the production route,” Chappel said.
She opted for the latter, spending about a year and a half in ad agencies before she began doing freelance work and accepting casting calls.
Chappel became a featured guest on Epicurious, an award-winning YouTube channel, and realized that she had found what she loved to do the most in life.
“It felt like one of those now or never moments in time — that’s when I decided to go to culinary school,” she said.
Chappel initially had no intentions of working in the culinary industry after graduating from Penn State, but after attending the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City, she decided to pursue full-time work in the industry.
“Cooking was always something that I loved, but I had never thought of doing it as a career,” Chappel said.
Chappel received a call from Adina Lewis, whom she met during their time on the homecoming committee at Penn State, asking her if she wanted to be on Next Level Chef.
“Adina actually offered me the opportunity to be on the show twice,” Chappel recounted. “I originally said no the first time, but when I was offered it again, I knew I had to take it.”
Chappel said the show was a “phenomenally unique” experience.
“So many cooking shows have great prizes, yet the fact that this prize was working with three incredible chefs, including none other than Gordon Ramsay? I didn’t really see how any other show compared,” Chappel said.
Chappel said having a background in production work was helpful throughout her journey.
Steve Kraycik, an associate teaching professor and director of student television at Penn State, has kept in touch with Chappel for almost ten years now.
“What impresses me the most about Gabi is her ability to turn whatever she does into success,” Kraycik said.
Kraycik said Chappel did a great job when she was an anchor and reporter for Centre County Report during her time at Penn State and her time as a digital producer and host post-graduation.
He watched every episode as she competed this year and won the whole competition.
“I was literally cheering her on in front of my TV and was thrilled to see her win,” Kraycik said.
He said Chappel succeeds because she works extremely hard and sets her mind to winning.
“For years, our inside joke has been that I’d like her to cook me a lasagna someday,” Kraycik recounted. “Now that she won Next Level Chef, I’m going to hold her to it!”
Continuing her career under Ramsay’s mentorship, Chappel now hosts a new YouTube series on FOX’s Bite Originals called Gabi’s Next Course.
“It has this fun double meaning of ‘Yes, this is my next dish, but also what I’ll learn next,’” she said.
Chappel’s campaign manager, Savannah Storm, said it’s been amazing to see how she’s grown during the year they’ve been working together.
“Gabi inspires so many young chefs, including me who’s not a cook, and working so closely with her is an unreal experience,” Storm said.
She also said Chappel makes her job easier because she is so communicative.
“I feel lucky to be on her team and continue to watch her blossom while sharing her knowledge and passion with others,” Storm said.
Chappel hopes current Penn Staters will come across the series and be inspired, adding that students don’t need to know what they want to do right after they graduate.
“I wouldn’t have ended up where I am now if I hadn’t taken time to figure things out,” Chappel said.
She said she loves that she’s becoming a mentor for students at Penn State because she believes that mentorship is very valuable.
“That really fills my cup, and I love paying it forward,” she said.
Although she has found her career in the culinary arts, Chappel said she will always be a student because there’s always more to learn.
“Finding your passion comes from listening to your intuition and seeing different opportunities that might present themselves to you,” Chappel said. “I’m a big believer in ‘things aren’t random,’ the opportunities you are offered will lead you where you need to go next.”
