Victoria Landa Reyes blends culinary work with public health studies

Victoria Landa Reyes, a California State University, Dominguez Hills student in Downey, is pairing restaurant leadership with public health and health sciences coursework. Her path highlights how professional experience in food service can inform a broader focus on wellness, community engagement, and career growth.

Why it matters: - Victoria Landa Reyes is building a career that connects food service, education, and public health. - Her path reflects a broader shift toward workers using hands-on industry experience to inform community health goals. - Her story also highlights the role mentorship and family support can play in helping students move into new fields.

What happened: - Victoria Landa Reyes, based in Downey, California, is studying public health and health sciences at California State University, Dominguez Hills. - Victoria Landa Reyes works as a Shift Lead at Rubio’s Restaurant Group. - Victoria Landa Reyes is using her culinary background and restaurant leadership experience to support her transition into public health. - Influential Women recognized Victoria Landa Reyes and published a profile about her journey. - The profile includes a link to her page: Victoria Landa Reyes’ Influential Women profile.

The details: - Victoria Landa Reyes said her success is rooted in perseverance, opportunity, and the example set by the women in her life. - Her work at Rubio’s Restaurant Group includes coordinating team members, maintaining service and quality standards, and supporting restaurant operations. - Her responsibilities also include helping uphold customer service expectations and operational and safety procedures. - Victoria Landa Reyes holds a Certificate in Culinary Arts. - She sees her food service background as a practical complement to her public health studies. - Victoria Landa Reyes said her mother worked hard as a single parent, earned a GED, and made sure she had access to private school and other opportunities. - Victoria Landa Reyes said her mother enrolled her in acting classes in middle school, an experience that helped her get comfortable stepping outside her comfort zone. - One grandmother cared for the family until her final day, and another continues to work, travel every year, and model independence. - Victoria Landa Reyes said the women in her family taught her that someone can leave Mexico without speaking the language, arrive without formal education, and still build a successful life through hard work. - Friend Chauncey Williams and professor Dr. Obinna Oleribe have encouraged her to stay open to unfamiliar opportunities. - A trip to Sacramento to learn about law and government led to research work with Dr. Oleribe. - Victoria Landa Reyes believes saying yes to the right opportunity can lead to unexpected professional and academic growth. - Her personal philosophy includes the line, “I press on forward with my eyes looking up; I can only control myself.” - Inspired by Mel Robbins, that message reflects her focus on what she can control. - Victoria Landa Reyes enjoys cooking and baking, and she recently made banana bread for her church community. - She has also started running and joined a run club, along with spending time with family and friends and enjoying coffee.

Between the lines: - Victoria Landa Reyes’s story is less about a single career pivot and more about linking adjacent skills into a new direction. - Restaurant leadership can translate into public health work through operational discipline, communication, and attention to safety. - Her emphasis on discomfort as a path to growth suggests she sees career change as a long-term process, not a quick switch. - The profile frames mentorship, family example, and personal discipline as the main drivers behind her next step.

What's next: - Victoria Landa Reyes will continue her studies at California State University, Dominguez Hills while gaining more experience in public health. - Her next phase appears focused on combining culinary knowledge, wellness interests, and community engagement into a broader professional role. - She says she wants to keep saying yes to opportunities that help her grow.

The bottom line: - Victoria Landa Reyes is turning restaurant experience into a foundation for a public health future, with family influence and mentorship shaping the path forward.