Today and tomorrow are the last days to apply for the IV Sammic Scholarship for BasqueStage. That still leaves you time to get your application in for consideration.

Maybe you’re still on the fence. Perhaps you aren’t sure what kind of person is BasqueStage material. One way to get the answer to that question is to visit our former and current stages’ blogs.

We’ve asked our current stages, Elisha Ben-haim and Ruth Selby to give us what they think are the top qualities that a future stage should have. Read on and then get in your application!

• Be hardworking.
• Be thick-skinned. “This is a very old school kitchen,” adds Elisha.
• Speak some Spanish. “Everything is in spanish, not having the language skills automatically puts you one step behind,” Elisha says. Ruth seconds that, saying “Things happen fast here, and they often happen in Spanish. You can get by with only English, but you’ll get so much more out of the experience if you come with a little Spanish in your back pocket. If you don’t speak a word, even just learning some basic vocab demonstrates that you’ve done your homework, and you want to contribute to the team.”
• Be willing to learn.
• Know what motivates you (hint: it should cooking). Elisha says, “If you are sure you want to be a cook you will push hard every day to make the most what’s going on no matter what.”
• Have a good attitude. “Both in the kitchen and out, you should want to get out, see and learn as much as you can while here,” adds Elisha.
• Pay attention to detail. Ruth breaks it down: “BasqueStages have to work in a 3 star kitchen where details matter; in Sammic marketing videos where minutiae matter; and in the blogosphere where details are what set you apart. It’s important to be focused and to care about the little things, like your uniform, your word choice, and your photographs.”
• Bring your knives-sharpened. “I’ve realized what a great knife culture we have in kitchens in the US. Some people here don’t even have their own knives. You do yourself a big favor if you come with quality knives, ready to rock,” Ruth adds.
• Have patience and be humble. “It can be frustrating, humbling and occasionally infuriating to work in any kitchen, and this kitchen is no different. I remind myself how much I’m learning every day, and how fortunate I am to be here,” says Ruth.