Aspiring Chefs Thrive at Culinary Arts Academy

Culinary students at Lake Worth Community High School graduate with far more than a high school diploma. Through the school’s Culinary Arts Academy, they are given the skills, confidence, and industry certification needed to land that all-important first job.

“Our students are knowledgeable, competent, and fully prepared to compete in the hospitality arena from the moment they graduate,” says Emmanuelle Suarez, a veteran chef instructor with the program. “They often don’t appreciate the hard work required to pass their professional certification tests until they start looking for a job.”

The program is also a gateway to other careers within hospitality. “One of our graduates began working in an area country club peeling onions and carrots,” says Suarez. “Today, he’s in management. Another oversees the kitchen at a private Palm Beach country club.”

The program recently attracted two culinary icons who visited with students to give words of encouragement: celebrity chef Guy Fieri and renowned fine-dining chef Thomas Keller, who graduated from the school in 1973 and spent his teenage summers working at the Palm Beach Yacht Club as a dishwasher before advancing to cook.

“During my December visit, I experienced the enthusiasm of students receiving education and training from caring teachers,” says Keller. “I predated the academy but would have benefited from its coursework, the integrated approach to learning, and from studying the academic and technical side of culinary arts. It is an extraordinary place.”

One of the program’s annual fall traditions pairs students with professional chefs to prepare meals for the Ultimate Dinner Party, an important fundraiser for the Children’s Home Society of Florida (CHS). “Students are always thrilled to participate and experience working as a private chef … at a high level while supporting an amazing cause,” says Suarez.

Loren Young, development events manager for CHS, notes that the partnership is a reflection of the nonprofit organization’s efforts to open up opportunities to regional students. “They exhibit so much passion and clearly have bright futures ahead,” she says of the participants. “This is a prime example of the importance of children having positive mentors in their lives.”

The curriculum is a popular option among students who might not otherwise be exposed to the culinary world, adds Rebecca Harley, the community partnership school director for Lake Worth Community High School. “By making this program accessible to the diverse student body at Lake Worth High, we will undoubtedly impact worldwide cuisine in ways we cannot yet imagine.”

The post Aspiring Chefs Thrive at Culinary Arts Academy appeared first on Palm Beach Illustrated .