Nico Balkhi As the sun set in Orange County one September evening, Nico Balkhi, a sophomore at JSerra Catholic High School, monitored a legion of jerk chickens roasting on a makeshift barbecue pit. Smoke and sweat stung his eyes, but he hardly noticed. Chef Azmin Ghahreman of the Sapphire Culinary Group paced behind him, barking orders over the makeshift campsite as if it were a Michelinstarred restaurant. The stakes were high, with more than 500 hungry guests waiting for their meal at MaxLove Project’s annual Farm to Fork fundraiser, and Nico was one of several high school line cooks volunteering for the evening. Despite the immense pressure, Nico says he never felt more at home as he served his community. “Culinary medicine and healthy eating are really important to me,” he explains. “There are a lot of people who need help … [and] need access to healthy food.” Nico’s introduction to volunteering began when he was 4 years old. Diagnosed with rapidly growing rhabdomyosarcoma, his life took a significant turn. His parents enrolled him in the MaxLove Project’s
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Photo courtesy of Nico Balkhi
Fierce Food Academy (FFA), an organization focused on educating children with cancer about culinary medicine. His parents credit the culinary lessons taught at FFA for his successful chemotherapy. Nico’s passion for the culinary arts hasn’t slowed for even a beat, and he dreams of opening a health food restaurant inspired by his Basque heritage. Recently, he took a college-level nutrition class that deepened his understanding of how to balance fruits and vegetables with carbohydrates. For Nico, community service is about creating lifelong change. For example, food deserts and lack of access to fresh food concern him deeply. He hopes to one day teach people living in those areas and facing food insecurity how to incorporate tasty, healthy foods into their diets without breaking the bank. Reflecting on his journey thus far, Nico advises other young people to start by finding a group of likeminded individuals who share their interests. “Use communities you’re already in to motivate yourself to go out and volunteer,” he says. On one of the MaxLove volunteer days, Nico got his whole water polo team to pitch in. “We had a lot of fun together,” he adds. “It was funny seeing all the guys working in the kitchen.”