While most Missouri Southern students hold part-time jobs with the University, at restaurants or in retail, Joel Stinnett, sophomore international business major, is already moving in the direction of his dreams.

Stinnett works as a personal assistant to Club Calienté manager José Nieves, managing the clubs books and helping out in the kitchen as a chef.

“We’re really just a lot of people with a passion for fun and we want a place where people can have fun with us,” he said.

Though Stinnett is an international business major and enjoys the managing side of business he takes pleasure in working in the kitchen helping to prepare the club’s Latin fare or cooking at home.

“For that 20 or 30 minutes it takes me to prepare a meal I can get away and pretend I’m Emeril,” he said.

Stinnett acquired his love of cooking through his world-wide travels and though he once hoped to become a CEO or CFO of a Fortune 500 company he now says he hopes to have a career where he can be his own boss.

“You’ve got to live day for day.” Stinnett said, “My goal would be to open several [night-life] venues in a major area.”

A Webb City native Stinnett has a love for the west coast and hope his work will take him to the Los Angeles area.

Stinnett is gaining the experience he hopes to use, working for Club Calienté with his manager and friend Nieves.

“We’ve got good people like Joel, they help us out a lot,” Nieves said.

Stinnett met Nieves through their work at the Amore Cooking Center and Stinnett helped establish the kitchen at Club Calienté.

In addition to his work in the kitchen and office Stinnett said he is also gaining experience for his current classes.

“It allows me to express my business sense in a positive way.” he said, “I can work the books, and apply it to my accounting class.”

He also appreciates being able to apply his education in what he considered a good environment.

“[Club Calienté] brings Latin culture to the area in a positive way,” he said. Stinnett said the arrangement working with someone he considers a friend with his mentality and business sense work well toward his goals.

“They love to party and I’m business minded, I help them any way I can,” he said.