East Lyme — Jasper Wright's eclectic menu of interests has helped prepare him for a future focused on the "psychology of food."

Bolstered by what he describes as a spiritual revelation in the wake of his close friend's suicide and then by the healing power of a good meal, the East Lyme High School senior has found solace in the kitchen.

His specialty is French cooking.

"The simplicity of it fascinates me," he said. "A lot of the basic recipes only require four or five ingredients, and the rest is knowing how to put those ingredients together properly. You can't screw up a single step."

The 18 year old plans to study psychology at Sarah Lawrence College in New York with the ultimate goal of using cooking as a way to help people. He's also thinking about a minor in philosophy to build on the course he recently completed at Connecticut College through the New London Scholars program.

The renaissance man — "I've been so mercurial with all my interests" is the way he put it — uses pastimes like photography and fashion design to foster his own sense of individuality and help others find theirs.

Wright, who would love to open his own restaurant someday, said psychology is inherent in everything from designing the layout of a restaurant space, to planning the menu, to putting together a team that works well together. He sees food as integral to his overarching goal of helping people and making them happier in their lives.

Wright was in eighth grade at Williams School at the time his friend died by suicide. That's when his therapist introduced him to Buddhism through "The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying" by Sogyal Rinpoche, who has said his goal in writing it was to inspire a "quiet revolution" in the way people care for the dying as well as the living.

Wright described the loss of his friend as the peak of the pain and alienation he already felt as someone who had always prioritized a few, close relationships over many superficial ones.

"Once I started to delve into Buddhism, to sort of explore my sense of spirituality, it really put things into perspective for me," he said.

Wright has been meditating about 20 minutes every night for two years. Various meditations help him destress after a long day at school or to build compassion after a conflict-filled one at work.

It's about being mindful of what's happening physically and mentally in his body, he said. It's also about understanding how pain that other people experience can influence their actions.

"One important thing I learned early on is you can't really have compassion for anyone else before you have compassion for yourself. You simply can't; it's not possible," he said. "So you have to believe in yourself and you have to forgive yourself and you have to let go of whatever anger or pain you're holding on to. And from there you can start to see the perspective of the other person."

That zen outlook serves him well in the stressful world of food service, he said.

Since he was old enough to get a job, Wright has spent much of his time outside of school working in restaurants. He started as a runner at Rocks 21 in Mystic and then became a line chef at Water Street Cafe in Stonington. Now he clocks in at Bar Bouchée in Madison.

Morgana Vesey, the current executive chef at Water Street Cafe, worked with Wright for about a year there.

Vesey was 21 years old when she competed in 2020 on the popular "Hell's Kitchen" competition cooking show with Gordon Ramsay. She was eliminated at the end of the fifth episode of the 16-episode series.

Jasper referred to Vesey as his "kitchen mom," describing her as a source of advice and guidance amid the chaos of each dinner service.

Vesey, for her part, said Wright's energy and enthusiasm lifted her spirits whenever she walked into the kitchen.

"Especially in an industry where it's not always a happy environment, he made it lighter," she said.

Wright's interest in cooking extended to the honors-level independent study course he took this year, which was devoted to French cooking as he researched the techniques and recorded YouTube cooking videos.

"I really just keep myself busy with food and with creative projects," he said. "When I'm not actually physically working on something, I'm contemplating life. I'm very introspective."

East Lyme High School English teacher Jeff Beale described Wright's unique ability to "take pause" and reflect on the world around him.

Beale, who is also the adviser for the Viking Saga school newspaper, has known Wright since the student transferred to the school halfway through freshman year. They've worked together on the Saga since then, with Wright serving as a photographer, columnist, arts editor and webmaster.

"I think he's kind of like 18 going on 35, in terms of his worldly wisdom and the reading that he's done and the life experience he's had," Beale said. "He just sees things in a different way than most teenagers do, and it's really special."

e.regan@theday.com