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Kansas City may be known for its BBQ, Jazz, and a professional football league that's headed to this year's Superbowl. Still, for a weekend in November, it was home to the Glitter Cat Brewer's Bootcamp and Curtis sponsor recipient – Peace. We took a moment to catch up with her after training had finished. Here is what we learned.

For Peace, it all started at Stumptown with a fascination with latte art. Management had a different plan and thought by placing her to work the brew bar, she could better understand the coffee. And she did. Peace began to slowly fall in love with the art of brewing.

You can tell she loves what she does. When we asked her what her favorite coffee was, she said it was the one she tasted at her first-time cupping with her manager – the Nano Challa Ethiopian. As Peace describes this first tasting, her passion for coffee is oozing. In detail, she explains that this cup has a super floral, citrusy taste without it burning your nose. She comments, "It's almost like that moment you open a bag of Starbursts. Berry tea. I can still remember exactly how it tastes."

Peace wasn't always on this path, and that's a big reason why Peace applied to Glitter Cat. She wanted to prove to her family that coffee could be a professional career. Her family long had the expectation that she would go into forensic psychology, but she was determined to show them that coffee could be a profession. Glitter Cat has helped renew her passion and provide a way for her to prove herself.

Later in December in Sumner, Washington, we would hear this story again as Peace took the stage at the US Coffee Championships. Peace not only brought a professional presentation, but she brought the heart of why she was there. By the end, everyone was crying and giving her a standing ovation. We all want to be seen. We all to be heard, and most of all, we want to be recognized that what we do matters.

When the results came, Peace just missed the cut off for Nationals. We were disappointed but so proud of what she had accomplished. We gave our hugs goodbye and said we looked forward to seeing where she goes next. We knew that regardless of how this turned out that Peace had big things ahead of her.

And we weren't wrong. Just over a month after Peace's competition in Sumner, she received an email that she had an opportunity to go to Nationals! She was next in line in case anyone above her couldn't participate. This is our official congratulations to Peace. You are headed nationals!

It's been a long journey for Peace, but she hopes to save her money, go back to Thailand and open a coffee shop and open up the coffee experience.

Her favorite brewing methods are the Kalita Wave and the Bee House. Personal shout out: Coffee Project Coffee Hero: Chad Wang Photos by @heytayphoto