Some of the greatest stories are the ones where the protagonist comes full-circle, returning to the place that kick-started their adventure with honed skills and a greater appreciation for their humble beginning. Cristina Cosentino’s journey began as an apprentice at Shelter Island’s Sylvester Manor Educational Farm, where she now serves as its first-ever Director of Farm Operations.

Cosentino dabbled in food production from 2011–2015, working on three different farms and spending some time in the New York City wine business. During this period, she had been mulling over when would be the right time to shift her focus to Sylvester Manor’s acclaimed apprenticeship program, and in 2015, she hastily decided the time was right. “The apprenticeship basically changed my life,” Cosentino says. “It was kind of the springboard for my whole career.”