Chef Shawn Returns to Campus to Inspire Students—and Feed Them!

Current Saints recently got a literal taste of alumni success when Shawn Osbey ’99—“Chef Shawn”—came to campus to present a cooking demonstration and spend the day with students. Along the way, he shared his journey from Canterbury student to business major in college to accomplished chef and owner of a catering company.

He started the day by preparing his signature chicken lo mien on the grill just outside the dining hall under a bright sunlit sky. The Sixth Form students in attendance enjoyed watching their classmates Sofia Collins ’25 and Abdul-Qayyuum Olasewere ’25 assist Shawn with the demo as Robert Savaglio ’25 interacted with audience members and shared their questions with the guest chef.

Known as the “traveling chef,” Shawn runs an Atlanta, Georgia-based catering company that lends his culinary expertise to clients for any occasion worldwide. But, as he explained to students, he took a somewhat circuitous route to get there. “I was a postgraduate student at Canterbury for basketball,” he shared. “I ended up playing ball at Hartwick College in Oneonta, New York, where I studied business administration—but I quickly learned that sitting at a desk trying to sell people investment opportunities wasn’t for me.”

The question became, what was for him? At a crossroads in his life, Shawn decided to follow his passion. “I always loved cooking and entertaining. My family hosted all the holidays and barbecues,” he said. “I was super-excited about people coming to our house and even enjoyed doing the shopping and cutting the grass to prepare. That excitement led me to enroll at the Connecticut Culinary Institute. The day I walked in, I knew it was right for me. I had found my tribe.” 

Following graduation and stints as a chef in Connecticut and Las Vegas, Shawn developed a love of catering while working for the Georgia Tech Hotel & Conference Center in Atlanta. There, he helped prepare huge banquets for clients such as the Atlanta Falcons football organization and Georgia Tech’s athletic programs. The experience inspired him to start his own business offering a full slate of culinary services, from event catering to cooking classes to private chef support. “I consider myself a boutique caterer,” he said. “I pick up clients from around the world who call me to come and do an event for them. It is a pretty cool niche.”

At the conclusion of Shawn’s demo, students enjoyed a tasting of his lo mien dish and expressed their appreciation both for the delicious cuisine and the time he spent with them. “Cooking with Chef Shawn was so interesting,” Abdul shared. “It was great to hear that, while his journey led him on different paths, he ended up doing what he loved. I realize that I should always pursue my passion, because you never know when it will come into play in your life.” 

Shawn spent the rest of the day taking a student-led campus tour, chatting with students in the Canterbury Business Association, having lunch with Boys’ Varsity Basketball Head Coach Brian Fruscio P ’25, ’26 and the team, and speaking to a Personal Finance class. Thank you, chef!

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