Texas Border Business
By Veronica Salinas
After more than a decade in the wrestling ring, Nicholas Sachs is preparing to step into a new chapter that sets him in a kitchen.
The 37-year-old Weslaco resident and father of three is pursuing his Commercial Baking Certificate at South Texas College (STC) and is looking to pursue an Associate of Applied Science in Culinary Arts in the future.
For Sachs, cooking has always been a natural passion. Born and raised in Lake Charles, Louisiana, he grew up surrounded by the flavors of his Cajun and Italian heritage.
“Cooking has always been a part of who I am,” he said. “Food was always at the center of family and life. It’s something I grew up loving, and now I want to turn that passion into something I can build a future around.”
His favorite dishes to make include gumbo, jambalaya and a traditional seafood boil, which allow him to bring a taste of home to the table.
Sachs originally studied welding at another college, but his plans changed when he decided it was time to pursue his passion for cooking. With STC’s Mid-Valley Campus practically in his backyard, he decided to enroll.
“I had driven past the campus so many times, but I never really stopped to see what was there,” he said. “One day I finally walked in, and that decision completely changed the direction I was going.”
While his culinary education is a new pursuit, Sachs is no stranger to following his passions. For more than 15 years, he has also been chasing a dream in professional wrestling.
His love for wrestling began during childhood when he and his brothers would gather at his grandparents’ house to watch matches and reenact what they saw on television.
“We were kids just having fun, but every time we watched wrestling, I wanted to be the one in the ring,” he said. “I remember thinking, ‘This is what I want to do when I grow up.’ Once I fell in love with it, there was no turning it off.”
Sachs got his start wrestling at a flea market in Mission in 2011 and has continued performing ever since. Now, as he nears retirement from the ring, he is turning his focus towards his education and what comes next.
“I got to live the dream I had as a kid,” he said. “I got in the ring, I performed and I gave it everything I had. Now I’m ready to take everything wrestling taught me and put that same energy into my next chapter.”
One lesson wrestling has taught him is to give everything he does his full effort, something he believes will serve him well as a student and future chef.
“Wrestling taught me that if you’re going to do something, you can’t give 50% and expect 100% results,” he said. “You must give it everything you have, because people can recognize when you don’t. I’m going to carry that mindset with me into school and into my career.”
That mindset is especially important in an industry where performance can determine future opportunities.
“When you step into that ring, people are judging you on what you give them,” he said. “If you don’t give it your all, they remember that. I’ve learned that your name and your reputation are built on your performance, and I want to bring that same standard into the kitchen.”
Now, Sachs hopes to bring that same determination into his culinary career.
His goal is to open a Cajun restaurant and a training gym with one of his friends from wrestling.
“I want to build something that brings both parts of my life together,” he said. “A place where I can share the food I grew up with, while also giving people a place to train, learn and chase their own dreams.”
For Sachs, the next chapter isn’t about leaving his dreams behind. It’s about building on everything he has already accomplished.
Information source: STC
