A Journey from Big Tech to Pastry School
Valerie Valcourt has always had a passion for baking. As a young person, she found joy in the kitchen, and that love only grew stronger during her high school years. In a home economics class, she was given the opportunity to take charge of a baking day, which left a lasting impression on her.
“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,” she shared with Business Insider Africa.
However, after graduating from high school in 2007, her parents discouraged her from pursuing a career in baking. “You’re not going to pastry school. You don’t need to be in the kitchen,” they told her. Instead, Valcourt found herself working at Big Tech companies for almost five years, but she quickly realized that this path wasn’t fulfilling.
“I was living in Seattle and making over $100,000 with equity and bonuses as an administrative business partner at Google,” she said. “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?'”
Despite her success, Valcourt couldn’t shake the feeling that she was missing something. She began baking for friends and found joy in the process. This realization led her to apply to a pastry school in Paris, which accepted her. The challenge, however, was the cost. The program was expensive, and Valcourt didn’t 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,” she explained.
Valcourt chose to study in France because it offered a more affordable option compared to the U.S., where she would have had to take on significant loans. She found an accelerated three-month program called Gastronomicon in Agde, a small beach village in the south of France. The program included 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,” she said.
Her family and friends provided the support she needed to follow her dreams, even though she had doubts about starting over at 33. “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.'”
The transition to France was challenging, especially since she didn’t speak much French. “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,” she said.
Valcourt took her studies seriously, even when she faced imposter syndrome. However, she found moments of joy when she pulled a cake out of the oven and it turned out perfectly.
“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,” she said.
She also discovered a new sense of freedom in the environment. “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.”
Valcourt left the dark place she 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.”
She doesn’t miss Big Tech and is grateful that chapter of her life has closed. “I love working with my hands and not staring at a computer screen for eight hours a day.”
After completing her studies, Valcourt intended to move to Paris, but Disney Cruise Line called, and she gladly accepted the opportunity. Now, she has worked on multiple Disney cruise ships.
“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.”
Her goal is to open up her own patisserie in the Connecticut area so she can share what she learned. “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.”
Valcourt is currently encouraging people not to give up on 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.”
