He knew his dream. VR helped him build the path.
At 7 years old, Jeremiah Johnson began working in the kitchen alongside his mother. His passion for cooking radiated to those around him, including his grandmother, whose last advice to him before passing was to follow his dream of becoming a chef. Now, the 2026 Drayton High School graduate is turning that long-time passion into a career. This fall, Jeremiah is beginning the Culinary Arts Program at North Dakota State College of Science (NDSCS), with plans to become a fine-dining chef and eventually open his own restaurant.
Cooking has always been more than a hobby for Jeremiah. He describes the smells, sounds and process of creating something new as therapeutic. He enjoys how food brings people together. When dyslexia made reading recipes difficult, he found his own solution: turn the recipe upside down, read it and turn it back over.
North Dakota Health and Human Services Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) helps people like Jeremiah achieve their dreams to the best of their ability. By the time Jeremiah connected with VR during his junior year, he already knew what he wanted to do and had begun building the skills to get there. He worked part time and fundraised to pay for multiple culinary camps and competitions, both in North Dakota and out of state. His efforts led to invitations to compete in Washington and attend another culinary opportunity in New York City. What VR provided was support in navigating the path from high school to the career Jeremiah had already begun working toward.
“When I met Jeremiah, his confidence really stuck out,” said his VR Counselor, Erik Anthony. “He’s had good success, and with having that passion and the dream for it, having a little bit of success early definitely can lead to a nice sense of confidence. This is not a business for the timid.” Erik also added that Jeremiah’s work ethic was never something VR had to develop. “The determination and work ethic has always been there.” VR has served as a partner along the way, helping Jeremiah take the next step toward a future he was already determined to build.
Through VR, Jeremiah worked with Erik on postsecondary planning, work readiness, self-advocacy and understanding his college options. VR also helped support Jeremiah’s second NDSCS culinary camp, covering expenses including his dorm stay and chef jacket.
As Jeremiah enters college, self-advocacy will be especially important. Accommodations students receive in high school do not automatically transfer to college. VR helped Jeremiah learn who to contact and how to communicate what support he needs.
Jeremiah compares pursuing his dream to building a Lego set: It takes putting the pieces together one step at a time. “It just takes time and effort,” he said.
His advice to other students with disabilities is simple: “Believe in yourself and put in the work.” For Jeremiah, that next piece is culinary school. And he’s ready to build.