OREGON
Todd Dohlman ’06
Chef, Nong’s Khao Man Gai

From practicing his foot skills to polishing his knife skills, Todd Dohlman (B.L.A. ’06) has taken his college experiences into the kitchen. The former UMKC athlete is now a chef at Nong’s Khao Man Gai, a Thai restaurant in Portland, Ore.

Dohlman came to UMKC to fulfill his dream of playing Division I soccer. As the team’s goalkeeper, he made 291 saves during his athletic career — a UMKC record. He also helped lead the team to two NCAA tournaments. Dohlman ranks second at UMKC in career minutes played with 4,823, and achieved eight career shutouts and 18 wins.

As a student, Dohlman found inspiration in his history classes.

“I really enjoyed all the different ways the past was presented to me,” he says. “I felt challenged and inspired to learn the subject they were teaching me.”

After college, Dohlman decided to tackle a new challenge: cooking. He says becoming a chef sounded exciting and challenging

“My time [at UMKC] really helped me in deciding to get a formal culinary education instead of just become a line cook and working in a kitchen,“ he says.

His advice for aspiring chefs? Don’t be afraid to fail.