Cedar Hill High Senior Has The Ingredients To Succeed Long-Term

CEDAR HILL, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - Cedar Hill High School senior Sydnee Stephens has all the ingredients to succeed long-term.

She says, "You have to to have passion. You have to have some type of self determination and drive."

Stephens' drive has allowed her to be a cut above the rest.

She's currently in position to graduate fifth in her senior class. She encourages others by saying "anybody can do it. If they study hard, work hard, and stay motivated."

Stephens is so motivated, she has decided to put all her eggs in one basket.

Following her dream of becoming a chef, she's been accepted to the Culinary Institute of America in New York and Johnson and Wales University in Rhode Island…. two of the premier cooking schools in the country.

Alex Goss, a Cedar Hill High School Chef Instructor, admits "she's setting the bar for me personally, to make sure every kid to unlock the potential they have in everything they do."

Becoming a positive example for others to follow, hasn't been easy. In 2016, Sydnee's journey took a major turn when she lost her father Walter to congestive heart failure. In one swoop, she lost her best friend, but gained a desire to carry his on legacy.

Sydnee explains, "He was the cook of the house. And when he passed, no one did anything. So he took that away. Nobody cooked or did anything. Now he's lives thru me."

And no one will ever have to pepper Sydnee Stephens to get her to reveal her ultimate dream.

In her words, "my ultimate goal is to make my father proud and see how that goes. And I aspire to have a restaurant on every continent."

Sydnee says her restaurant will feature a signature dish named after her father. It will be comprised of a steak and potato, his favorite meal.