Freshly cooked steaks fill the industrial sized kitchen at Northern High School with the robust aroma of meat as students scramble to prepare the evening’s menu.
This is all in a days work for the students in Andrew Somers’s culinary arts class that began in 2001. The program began with around ten students and now over 150 students are enrolled.
Editor’s note: in an earlier version of this story, Andrew Somer’s name was incorrectly listed as James. The VOICE regrets the error.
“Look at these kids working, man,” Somers said, “These kids are all up on their grades in all their classes and they are working tonight.”
Students enroll in Culinary 1 as 10th-graders, Culinary 2 as 11th-graders, and Culinary 3 as 12th-graders. Students have a mere 90 minutes a day to prepare gourmet dishes for catering events off campus.
Some students arrive early to prepare food for the bakery. The bakery is open before school and its patrons are asked to make a donation as payment. In addition to cooking, students must complete a 100 page vocabulary exam every week as practice for their state mandated vocational exam, Somers said.
“My focus is on the kids. Once you reach Culinary 2 there is a 100 percent high school graduation rate,” Somers said, “Some of them go to college and some of them go to work. They all make more than minimum wage.”
One hundred percent of the students who reach Culinary 2 go to college or secure jobs in the culinary industry, Somers said.
Umstead Pines at Willowhaven and Mountain View Farms utilize the culinary program for events throughout the year. Students work in the kitchen at Umstead Pines every other Wednesday and prepare food as it is ordered, Somers said.
Cecilia Rodriguez, a 12th-grade student, is continuing her culinary education next year at Johnston and Wales in Charlotte.
“I’ve always loved cooking. This culinary class gave me a lot more experience,” Rodriguez said.
Peter Brodsky and John Rutt also teach the culinary classes with Somers. Brodsky has students preparing a rutabaga and fennel dish. Working with rutabaga is no easy task, but it is good knife practice, he said.
“Slicing rutabaga is like slicing softballs into razor thin pieces. But they are also cheap,” Brodsky said.
Rutt joined the program after Somers reached out to him. Rutt said he enjoys the program because students get to work at quality events. He expressed his excitement for one particular event that evening.
“The GOP today, that’s huge,” Rutt said.
Students scurried about the Lincoln Douglass event hosted by the Durham County Republican Party at the Duke Armory on Feb. 25th. The menu for tonight includes meatballs, roast beef with horseradish, caramelized tomatoes, a fruit spread, a vegetable spread, and rainbow sherbet punch.
Students politely ask patrons, “Would you care for a meatball?”
The event explored the historical relationship between the GOP and black culture. Immanuel Jarvis, Durham GOP Chairman, was excited to utilize the services of the culinary program.
“What better way to be able to really connect with the community by having them come?” Jarvis said, “We have a set budget, and they worked with us and made it happen.”
The culinary program starts off the year with a small grant from the school system but donations throughout the year can quadruple the original investment, Somers said.
“I take every penny and roll it over four or five times, if we get $5,000 we end up spending $20,000,” Somers said.
The culinary program works to teach students the value of hard work, education, and the money that this combination provides. When students work outside of class they can receive tips for their work Somers said.
“I try and build work ethic. I show them that hard work brings you bucks, and bucks make you happy,” Somers said with a smile.
The work ethic instilled by Somers, Brodsky and Rutt is recognized throughout the culinary community. Networks of graduates help students find jobs and colleges that will suit them. The outstanding reputation of the award-winning culinary program certainly helps students. It has received over 150 awards in the last four years, Somers said.
Somers is starting a summer program that will be available to 5th-grade students and up. Experience is key in the culinary industry and the students at Northern High School have plenty of it. They continue to pave the way for those who follow in their footsteps.
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