Jeneil Parker, a graduate of Ogeechee Technical College's culinary program, has built a promising career in cooking. Starting from family barbecues as a child, he now prepares meals for celebrities at an exclusive Georgia golf club. His path highlights hands-on training and proactive networking.
Jeneil Parker's interest in cooking ignited at age six, when he learned to grill alongside his father during family gatherings. This early exposure evolved into a formal pursuit as an adult. In fall 2022, he enrolled in the two-year culinary program at Ogeechee Technical College.
The curriculum began with foundational topics like food safety and restaurant management, progressing to practical skills such as knife techniques, soup preparation, stock making, fish filleting, and vegetable cutting. Later semesters covered advanced baking and sauce creation. Students faced regular practical exams, where they selected a recipe at random, gathered ingredients, and completed the dish in two hours. Evaluations considered station organization, sanitation, waste minimization, creativity, taste, seasoning, and plating.
"The practical exams were always where I got excited," Parker said. His instructor, Chef Brian Richards, added engagement through classroom competitions, such as accuracy in knife cuts, with winners earning extra credit or easier tests.
A pivotal moment came when Executive Chef Keith Cabot of Ohoopee Match Club in Cobbtown, Georgia, was scheduled to speak to the class but could not attend. Parker took initiative, emailing Cabot and securing a tour of the private golf club, renowned as one of the nation's best. During the visit, he received an offer to join the team and started in September 2023.
Initially handling salads, cold appetizers, and prep work, Parker advanced in his second season to the hot line, focusing on starches and vegetables for dinner service. He anticipates soon managing proteins like steaks and fish. "I enjoy getting to see newness; new things in the kitchen," he noted. "We always try to introduce something we know and change something about it and evolve it."
At Ohoopee, Parker has served notable figures, including cutting a birthday cake for singer Niall Horan in 2023, who personally thanked the kitchen staff. He described meeting celebrity chef David Chang, who visited the kitchens post-service to express gratitude, as the highlight of his career.
Beyond the club, Parker completed a three-month internship at a three-Michelin-star restaurant in Washington, Virginia, during summer 2024. He also takes on private chef roles and remains open to international prospects. "Getting as much experience under my belt is the goal," he said. "I owe a lot of my success to all of the chefs that I’ve worked under at Ohoopee." Looking ahead, he aims to launch a barbecue business in Statesboro, drawing on skills honed since childhood.