Amanda St. Pierre rushes in to the cafeteria kitchen toward the end of a busy lunch hour. She hurriedly grabs a bowl and ladles in a cup of the soup du jour B次元官网网址� chicken tortilla with a gob of sour cream and crumbled tortilla chips on top.
B次元官网网址淗ot. Coming through,B次元官网网址� she warns as she weaves her way past the young students working in the cafeteria and out to the till.
St. Pierre, Spectrum Community SchoolB次元官网网址檚 cafeteria manager, could easily be mistaken for one of them B次元官网网址� she looks more like a high school student than a lunch lady.
In fact, the kitchen she manages is more an upscale restaurant than a school lunch joint.
With menu items like espresso-marinated pork tenderloin and a rack of lamb, itB次元官网网址檚 clear thereB次元官网网址檚 something unique going on in SpectrumB次元官网网址檚 cafeteria.
It all stems from the schoolB次元官网网址檚 culinary arts program, a one-year program that prepares students to work as professional chefs by having them prepare all meals served in the cafeteria, while learning the ins and outs of managing a kitchen.
At 18 years old, St. Pierre is a recent grad of that program B次元官网网址� June 2012, in fact. After seeing her excel in culinary arts, Spectrum hired her in September 2012 to run the kitchen under chef (and teacher) Lauri Humeniuk.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 funny, I remember one of the kids asked, B次元官网网址榃hy are you back? DidnB次元官网网址檛 you graduate?B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址榊eah, but I work here now,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� St. Pierre says. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 very weird to think I went from being a student to being (a staff member) here.B次元官网网址�
Spectrum principal Rob House says St. PierreB次元官网网址檚 hiring wasnB次元官网网址檛 nepotism B次元官网网址� she is simply the best person for the job. B次元官网网址淎manda is the evidence that (career preparation) works,B次元官网网址� he says. B次元官网网址淪he knows the cafeteria kitchen.B次元官网网址�
The school also has career prep programs in law, outdoor recreation and for would-be electricians.
B次元官网网址淲e want to make schooling as relevant as possible. The math, science, socials, English B次元官网网址� those donB次元官网网址檛 go away, theyB次元官网网址檙e important, but you want to connect their education to the real world. What better way than career prep, where you can begin your career at school?B次元官网网址� House says. B次元官网网址淚f you find your passion early enough in life, you could be well on the way (to your career) by the time you finish high school.B次元官网网址�
St. Pierre found her passion early, even switching high schools in Grade 10 to participate in SpectrumB次元官网网址檚 culinary arts.
She laughs now when she thinks back to her childhood and her earliest cooking memory. At age 8 or 9 she surprised her mom by baking her a berry pie B次元官网网址� from scratch.
B次元官网网址淚 didnB次元官网网址檛 know how to make a pie so I put all the berries in the blender and blended them all up. It tasted good, but it was so runny and so terrible B次元官网网址� but my mom loved it,B次元官网网址� she says.
While her job at Spectrum is only temporary, as sheB次元官网网址檚 filling in during a maternity leave, St. Pierre says sheB次元官网网址檚 enjoying working at her old high school, and getting to watch the up-and-coming chefs discover their flair for cooking.
B次元官网网址淚 love the art of cooking; the culinary arts B次元官网网址� thatB次元官网网址檚 totally what it is. IB次元官网网址檓 a very artistic person and I love being able to express it through my cooking, through my food,B次元官网网址� she says. B次元官网网址淭his program is amazing in so many ways. You learn so much about yourself and what youB次元官网网址檙e capable of. B次元官网网址� IB次元官网网址檓 so passionate about it. I love seeing other people that are just as excited about food as I am.B次元官网网址�
kslavin@saanichnews.com
