WHS Culinary Students to Compete at The Happiest Place on Earth
Cook Around the World competition photo from World Class Vacations by WorldStrides®
After posting on social media about participating in the local A Taste of Warroad event last May, the Warroad High School Culinary class received an invite to participate in the Cook Around the World Competition at Walt Disney World Resort®. Now, members of the Culinary class are preparing to travel and compete against hundreds of students from around the nation and across the world. Learn how this once-defunct program has been reinvented and is inspiring students to pursue careers in the culinary field.
The Family and Consumer Science (FACS) course offerings at Warroad High School have evolved over the years. After classroom spaces were repurposed for use by early learners following a consolidation a little over 10 years ago, the program all but ceased. Five years later, following a building renovation and addition, a limited level of programming was reintroduced as some of these spaces were reclaimed. Fast forward to today, and WHS has a thriving lineup of FACS course offerings under the leadership of instructor Ashley Stricker.
Stricker moved to Warroad in May of 2020 from Rugby, ND, and while she was initially hired to teach English Language Arts, she transitioned to teaching FACS classes after her first year. With seven years of experience in the hospitality and tourism industries and 10 years of teaching under her belt, she curated a program roster which includes everything from Culinary Arts and Child Development, to Intro to Education and Community Service & Leadership. She also teaches Independent Living, a course that will soon be a graduation requirement, preparing students for life after high school – what it takes to live on your own, college and career exploration, goal setting and more. “Mrs. Stricker has created an extreme amount of interest in an area that can easily be considered as survival skills,” commented WHS Principal, Dennis Abernathy. “With her dedication and willingness to look outside the box, she has created a program that provides a new level of opportunities for our students that had nearly disappeared for a decade.”
“Helping kids with the next stage of their lives and how exciting that is, that’s my passion! For some students it’s so stressful, so I just reassure them that I don’t expect them to know what they will do with their whole lives at 18. But if I can help guide them to learn what they are interested in, or even what they are not interested in, that is what I want to do.”
Some of the 2021-22 FACS students with their ServSafe Food Handlers Certificates
The culinary class offerings available for 9-12th graders at Warroad High School begin with an Intro to FACS class. In this prerequisite course, every student must earn a ServSafe Food Handler certificate by completing the training and successfully testing out of the assessment before continuing on to courses in Culinary Arts, Pastries and Baking, and Cultural Foods. “These certifications recognized in industry that her students earn while taking FACS courses are the beginning of making graduating from Warroad High School more than just receiving a diploma,” noted Principal Abernathy.
Students on the Baking track earn an additional ServSafe Allergens certification, while those on the Culinary track can choose to take the ServSafe Food Manager training. While this training is challenging, students who test out and become certified have a leg up on their peers when it comes to employment. “With the hospitality and tourism industry heavy up here, having the Food Handlers Certification makes all the students more hirable and potentially increases their starting wage,” explained Stricker. “But with the Food Manager Certification, students could enter the workforce as a front of house or back of house manager!” Senior, Shana Norindr, spoke to her motivation to complete the training. “My boss, Joy, showed me her ways and hyped me up to do better, and Miss Ashley is the best at encouraging me to get out of my comfort zone. From this certification, I hope to gain job offers or even pursue my own business.”
Last May, the school was invited to participate in A Taste of Warroad, an annual event featuring the restaurants and other food establishments in Warroad, and Stricker seized the opportunity to give her students some real-world experience. They prepared specialty items from egg rolls to French macarons and served to over three hundred guests! Their cuisine was well-received and after posting photos of their dishes to their social media, they were contacted by Cook Around the World inviting them to participate in a cooking competition in Disney World.
Celebrity Guest Chef Mentor, Anne Burrell.
Photo from World Class Vacations by WorldStrides®
Now 12 of Stricker’s 150 students are just four months away from the experience of a lifetime. Over the course of their visit, the group will stay at Walt Disney’s Pop Century Resort and have 3-Day Park Hopper® tickets to enjoy the parks in their downtime. After getting a behind-the-scenes tour with an insider look at the hospitality industry of Disney on arrival day, the Hands-on Culinary Improv in Epcot® is on day two. Teams of students in this “Chopped”-style competition will be mentored by Celebrity Guest Chef Anne Burrell, star of multiple Food Network series including Secrets of a Restaurant Chef, Chef Wanted, and Worst Cooks in America. The competition will be judged by representatives from UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management and Valencia College. The weekend culminates with an International Gala Dinner/Career Forum and Award Ceremony where students have the invaluable experience to network with leading colleges and companies within the hospitality and culinary world. To cap off the night, Epcot’s special evening firework finale, Harmonious, will be dedicated to all the students in attendance.
“I’m so excited for the Disney trip,” stated junior, Aura Moyer. “I think it will be a great opportunity for us to explore what we’re passionate about and compete against other kids our age.” The students will be competing as a team so the months ahead will include a lot of team-building exercises as they prepare for the event. Sophomore, Caroline Marvin, is optimistic about the outcome, “Each culinary student specializes in different areas; cooking, baking, seasoning, organizing, etc. I can’t wait to see what we will accomplish together!”
Along with getting ready for the competition itself, the team is busy brainstorming how to best fundraise the over $20,000 it will take to make the trek to Florida. A holiday movie night with a corresponding themed menu is already on the schedule, along with a series of baking classes catered to younger kids. Mrs. Stricker, or Miss Ashley, as she is affectionately called by her students, is also encouraging her students’ entrepreneurial spirits to think outside the box and use their culinary talents to fulfill their fundraising goals. This is an easier feat for students like Caroline Marvin, who opened her baking business at age 10, or Aura Moyer, who is completing her Cottage Food Producer Registration and already has orders rolling in. But even for students who are newer to the culinary world, like senior, Tayanna Cole, Miss Ashley acts as their cheerleader. “She pushes me to be better every day and I haven’t even had her as a teacher that long! She convinced me to start “Warrior Fresh” meals [think HelloFresh®] at the school for our community.” More details on fundraising efforts will be shared as events are planned.
While this trip is sure to be a memorable one, for those who are considering work in the culinary field, it may just be the first step in their career. Learn more about some of the aspiring chefs and pastry chefs of Warroad’s FACS classes.
