Staff Spotlight: Meet OHI San Diego Staff Member, Alexis Enriquez

Let’s get to know Alexis Enriquez. As the Kitchen Manager at our San Diego campus, Alexis is the magician who brings the healthy raw plant-based diet to life for our guests.

OHI:  Tell us a little about yourself outside of OHI.
AE: I was born in Mexico. I came to the United States when I was 12 years old. I didn’t speak English, but I immediately started middle school and quickly learned. After middle school, I went to the Health Science High School in San Diego. Sharp Memorial Hospital was nearby and had a relationship with the school. Students could shadow hospital employees in different departments, and then apply for a job at the hospital. I worked in food services at Sharp Memorial for two years and learned a lot. When I attended college, I continued to work in the restaurant industry to help pay for tuition. My major is biochemistry. Cooking is all about experimentation and chemical reactions, so cooking and biochemistry are distantly related if you think about it. Anyway, I met my wife, Diana, nine years ago when we were both in high school. She’s a nurse now. We’ve been married for two years. I don’t have a lot of spare time, but I do try to go to the gym and workout regularly. I also like to get outdoors and hike. The weather is always beautiful in San Diego, so when I’m not in the kitchen I like to get outside and enjoy the sunshine.

OHI: What made you decide to apply to OHI?
AE: To be honest, working in the restaurant industry is very intense. The hours are brutal, and the stress is very high. I had been working in that environment for eight years. I had to put my college classes on hold because biochemistry is just as high stress and intense as working in a restaurant. I wanted a new job that utilized my restaurant management experience, but that was less of a pressure cooker. I was looking for an environment where I would be valued for the contribution I was making. I saw an OHI hiring post looking for an Assistant Kitchen Manager, and I checked into the organization. It was completely different from the restaurant environments I was used to working in, but at the same time it utilized all of my skill sets. I was hired in December 2022 as Assistant Kitchen Manager, and I was recently promoted to Kitchen Manager. I love it here! The atmosphere is so calm and peaceful. The staff members from every department are so kind and supportive of each other. And the guests are really interesting and pleasant to serve. I work six days a week, but the time I spend here is very pleasant. All the staff members work extremely hard to make sure the guest experience is as welcoming and accommodating as possible. It’s very fast paced, and we are busy from the minute we arrive to the minute we leave. The time goes by in a blink, and at the end of the day we have served amazingly healthy, delicious food to people who want to fuel their body with a clean, organic, raw diet.

OHI: What are your responsibilities as Kitchen Manager?
AE: I manage the kitchen staff, and we prepare all the food for the guests. There’s a bit of a learning curve to it, getting up to speed on the OHI program of food combining, living food recipes, nutritional information, and program standards. I had some prior experience in dehydration, juicing, fermenting, and sprouting, but working in the OHI kitchen has made me a master at all of it. We make the Rejuvelac and do all the wheatgrass juicing. I also help out in the greenhouse a bit.

OHI: What’s your favorite part about working at OHI?
AE: I love the opportunity to meet different people each week. I join the guests at circle before every meal. I answer any questions they may have about the food, the program, the Rejuvelac, and how to sprout and ferment. They ask really great questions because they are so motivated to continue the program for themselves when they go home, and I’m happy to give them the confidence they need to keep going. Every day at OHI is different, so I’m always learning. I also really appreciate how the staff members all look out for each other. It’s such a supportive place.

OHI: Do you have any advice for those who have never visited OHI before?
AE: Come with an open mind and an open heart. Be willing to experience change. Around the fourth day, you will see how amazing this detox diet is for your body. It will benefit your health in ways you can’t even imagine.

If you have always yearned for a career where you can make a difference by helping and serving others, then contact us today: (800) 588-0809