and make them smile, it’s a good
day.
Continued from page 54
anyone, either living or dead from
history, who would it be?
NR: It would be Saint Thomas
Aquinas. He was one of the greatest
Christian philosophers of all time.
PCT: What is your definition of the
best day ever?
AA: Any day with my family is the
best day
PCT: If you had to do another job
other than what you’re doing, what
would you do?
SR: I would do landscaping/garden-
ing/farming.
PCT: What is your impact to Parker
County?
SR: I hope that I have impacted my
patients by discussing with them the
importance of nutrition. It has been
one of my passions to press upon
them the things they can do to take
control of their health. AA: Life on the Line: A Chef’s Story
of Chasing Greatness, Facing Death,
and Redefining the Way We Eat by
Grant Achatz.
PCT: What is your definition of the
best day ever?
SR: My definition of the best day ever
would be being with my family at the
beach! PCT: What do you do to decompress?
AA: Playing with my kids and being
with my wife is my comfort. Then I
really decompress at the gym late at
night.
PCT: What’s the best piece of advice
you would give?
SR: I would say to do what you love
and do it to the best of your ability. PCT: What is something people don’t
know about you?
AA: If I tell you, then you will know...
PCT: What is the coolest thing you
have ever done in your life?
SR: The coolest thing I have ever
done would be when I was a teen-
ager. I was on vacation at a friend’s
ranch in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe),
and we were sent by his dad to track
and hunt a leopard that had been
killing their cattle.
Aaron Austin
72
PCT: What’s the best piece of advice
you would give?
AA: Follow your dreams. Don’t be
scared to do something outside the
box, some of the greatest innovations
were discovered as a mistake.
Aaron Austin is the Executive
Chef and General Manager at
Vintage Grill and Car Museum.
He is also our 2017 chef of the
year.
PCT: How did you get into your
occupation?
AA: It was something I always had a
passion for, but was scared to take
that step. When I finally did, it was
the best choice I ever made.
PCT: What is your favorite novel?
PCT: What is the most interesting
thing you have ever done in your
life?
AA: I had the pleasure of serving this
country in Iraq and Afghanistan. I
made great friends along the way, but
more than anything it shaped me into
who I am today.
Monika Cooper
Monika is an attorney.
PCT: What would you most like to be
remembered for?
AA: I try my best to give back to the
community, so hopefully for that.
PCT: If you could have lunch with
any one, either living or dead from
history, who would it be?
AA: I would have to say my parents.
Unfortunately, they are no longer
with us, but it would be awesome to
have them eat in my restaurant.
PCT: If you had to do another job
than what you’re doing, what would
you do?
AA: Now I have to answer question
5, I am Batman...
PCT: What is your impact to Parker
County?
AA: I love giving back to charity. I
do events with Parker County Today,
Make a Wish, and others as well.
I coach my son’s baseball team.
My job is a chef is to make people
happy, so if I can impact someone
PCT: How did you get into your occu-
pation?
MC: The occupation of an attorney
was one of the three career paths
I considered while in high school.
After graduating from high school
and while attending college, I started
to work as a file clerk/ reception at a
law firm in Fort Worth. My position
there only confirmed that law was
what I wanted to do. I worked at my
firm as a file clerk/receptionist until I
was promoted to a litigation assistant
and then a paralegal. I then continued
my employment through law school
at Texas A&M Law school f/k/a Texas
Wesleyan University. Upon graduat-