From TV to MJ—Emily Rivera’s contributions to Geneseo’s cooking
Image of Emily Rivera via Photo Editor Mollie Wadhams
Students are often informed of the accomplishments of their professors—the research they’ve conducted, the work that they’ve published, and potentially even some of their more interesting hobbies or special skills; however, it is much rarer for the folks who circulate in and out of the dining halls to be as knowledgeable about the lives and achievements of the people who supply them with food and sustenance every day.
Emily Rivera, a chef at the Lotus station of Mary Jemison Dining Hall, is a perfect example of this. Asking Rivera about her day-to-day life or what she does outside of work, her immediate answer is simple: “Pretty much nothing.” Digging even slightly below this surface, however, reveals an abundance of accomplishments that fall perfectly in line with Rivera’s rigorous work ethic and constant aspiration to go above and beyond in everything that she does.
Born and raised in New Jersey, Rivera first moved to Mount Morris for one simple reason—“This job.”
“I applied for it because I went to culinary school,” Rivera said. “So, this is the closest thing that has, you know, an [opportunity] where you can move up…I’ve [worked at] Dunkin Donuts where I moved up, and then I was stuck. You’re only in one spot. At least here, I can, you know, go higher if I want to. Push your goals. That’s mainly what I’m focusing on, just making all my goals, making them come true.”
Rivera attributed this work ethic to the nature of her upbringing—Rivera grew up living in public housing, where the opportunities available to her were lackluster to say the least.
“Because of where I grew up, and the way I grew up, not a lot of people were supportive, and so not having the support that I’ll need pushes me a little bit harder,” Rivera said. “I grew up in the projects where, you know, you’re gonna be 15 and pregnant, or, you know, nobody, nobody makes it out. Nobody makes it out of the projects. And I can honestly say that I got all my degrees before I turned 30.”
Rivera earned her degree in early childhood education online at Capital University, then attended culinary school in New Jersey. It was this point in her career where Rivera’s goals and aspirations would start to exponentially rise to new levels.
“My goal was to graduate from culinary and pastry school, and to work for…Cake Boss. [Then,] I’m working for him. And that’s exactly what I said—I kept saying it, and I did. I worked for him.”
Rivera worked for Cake Boss, a hit reality TV show about Italian-American family-owned business Carlo’s Bake Shop, for a month and a half before the show started to slow down and was eventually canceled in Apr. 2020; of course, this did not hinder Rivera’s excitement about her successes and experience.
“I got to talk about, like, [stammering] and he’s just walking by… Like all of [the people on the show]. You see all of them. And I’m just like, ‘Oh, my God.’ Everybody’s just nonchalant, just chilling. I just saw the show yesterday, and [now] I’m here! Like, what is going on? So that was one of my biggest accomplishments that actually got done.”
Despite her successes, Rivera is keen on maintaining a humble air in her daily life. “That’s how my mentality goes,” she said. “I always have in the back of my head, ‘Yeah, I’m here now, but one wrong move and it can all come crashing down.’ That's why I try to stay focused and stay, you know, confident in myself [and remind myself] that, ‘hey, I got this.’”
Even if she insists on downplaying her triumphs, Rivera’s family steadfastly supports her and all of her hard work—Rivera referenced her nieces and uncles as people who never seem to let her forget her Cake Boss debut. Rivera’s accomplishments are also appreciated by her fiancé and dog, Caramello (Mello, for short).
As much as Mello and the rest of Rivera’s family cherish her cooking and can-do attitude, this appreciation might only be surpassed by the enjoyment and gratitude the school has for her dedication to her work here at Geneseo.