- Valerie Valcourt worked in Big Tech for five years, earning six figures at Google in Seattle.
- She left the tech industry behind to attend pastry school in France.
- Valcourt has worked on multiple Disney cruise ships and hopes to open her own patisserie someday.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Valerie Valcourt, 36, who previously worked at Amazon and Google before she became a pastry chef. It has been edited for length and clarity.
When I was in high school, I took a home economics class where we baked a lot. It was one of my favorite classes. One time, my teacher said, "Val, you're running this for the day," and I was in charge of everything. That's when I knew I'd love to go to pastry school.
I graduated from high school in 2007, and my parents said, "You're not going to pastry school. You don't need to be in the kitchen."
I worked at Big Tech companies for about five years, but as time passed, I realized I wasn't happy. That dream of wanting to go to pastry school had never disappeared.
Big Tech burnout
I was living in Seattle and making over $100,000 with equity and bonuses as an administrative business partner at Google. I lucked out finding good apartments in cool neighborhoods, and financially, I was OK, but I felt unfulfilled. I was in environments where it was very dog-eat-dog. I'd look around the room and think, "What am I doing here?"
I kept asking myself why I wasn't doing something that brought me joy. I would still bake here and there, making cakes and cupcakes for friends, and found myself enjoying the process.
I applied to a pastry school in Paris and got accepted, but the school's fees were high, and I realized I didn't actually have the funds.
I also wasn't mentally prepared. I felt stuck in this frozen state, unable to make the moves I needed to. So I left Big Tech and moved to New York for a year. I became an executive assistant at a meditation company, and it was one of the most stressful jobs I've ever had. It really affirmed my decision to go to pastry school.
The journey to France
I knew that if I went to school in the US, I'd probably be taking on a lot of loans, so I began looking in France again.
I found an accelerated three-month program called Gastronomicon in Agde, a small beach village in the south of France. It provided pastry lessons, French lessons, a four-month internship at a Michelin-level restaurant, and housing for both the school and internship. Everything was $10,000. Any other school I looked at lacked at least one of those things and still had a higher price tag.
When I told my parents, they were so supportive. My sister, friends, and everyone rallied around me, which was so helpful during those moments when I had doubts about starting over. I was 33 at the time. I thought, "OK, I can do this and see where this takes me. I don't know what's going to happen after school, but I'm going to do my best."
Initial culture shock
It wasn't easy to assimilate right away. I had three hours of French class and three hours of pastry every Monday through Friday.
My school was scheduled so that each week was a theme, like bread, chocolate, plated desserts, or entremets. I had no idea there were so many desserts in France, so everything was completely brand-new — from the meringues to the pâte à choux.
There was also a lot of culture shock. I didn't speak much French before going to pastry school. I remember going to the grocery store, just pointing at things, panicking, and apologizing profusely. That forced me to get serious and learn as much as I could before my internship.
Sometimes, I struggled with the same imposter syndrome I had while working in tech. Then I found those moments of joy when I'd pull a cake out of the oven, and it came out so well. My whole world exploded in the best way possible because it gave me the gift of having to push myself so much in such a short amount of time.
A new outlook on life
Even during moments of doubt, I was excited to be in the kitchen and work with people every week, learning where I could grow and what my strengths were.
I found joy every day, even in the French homework. I started out not knowing much French, and then I could actually speak to people in restaurants and navigate around the country. I didn't know what a meringue was, and now I can make a lemon meringue pie.
I pulled myself out of that dark place I had been in while working in Big Tech. My spirits lifted being around people who loved talking about food and nerding out on pastry. We would gather for potlucks and eat all the desserts we could find at local patisseries. It was such a unique bonding experience. I was trusting myself and letting myself be as open as I could be.
I don't miss Big Tech. I'm grateful that chapter of my life has closed, and I can focus on this one. I love working with my hands and not staring at a computer screen for eight hours a day.
What's next
After pastry school, I was going to move to Paris. Then Disney Cruise Line reached out, and I knew I couldn't say no. I've worked on the Disney Treasure and Disney Wish ships as a demi chef de partie. I'm returning to the Treasure in March.
The goal is to open up my own patisserie in the Connecticut area. I would love to share my favorite desserts, play with the different ingredients I've learned about in France, and bring new things to the table we haven't seen in the States.
I want to encourage people to follow their dreams. Sometimes, when you're in your 30s or older, you're scared to start over. But the truth is, you're not stuck. Now I get to travel the world and pour energy into my passion.
Life doesn't have to stop just because you get older. If anything, it's beginning to open up — if you just allow it.
