Quiet student a mighty force in the kitchen

January 20, 2017

Stephanie Turk may be quiet, but her talent in the kitchen makes her stand out. A recent graduate of Glasgow High School, Stephanie learned about the opportunity to attend The Culinary School through her mom.

Under the guidance of Chef Instructors Donnie Stephens and Jesse Santiago, she is excelling in the kitchen.

“She is quiet, but when she gets in the kitchen, you see a totally different side of her,” said Chef Donnie. “She actually had the highest grade on her mid-term mystery basket practical, and she also had a very high grade on the final mystery basket practical.”

The mystery basket final is an opportunity for the chef instructors to truly test students’ skills in the kitchen and their ability to work under the pressure of the clock. The students are given a specific time frame to prepare an entire meal with a mystery box of ingredients. For Stephanie’s final dish, she prepared a delicious chicken curry.

With graduation just two weeks away, Stephanie is ready for the next step in her culinary journey.

All students at The Culinary School at the Food Bank of Delaware have an opportunity to participate in a two-week paid internship at the conclusion of their 12 weeks of formal training in the classroom and kitchen at the Food Bank.

Stephanie is interning at Embassy Suites in Newark and says she is learning a lot.

The Food Bank pays students a stipend during their internship and provides uniforms, shoes, and bus passes or gas cards to support their transportation to and from their internship site. It’s a win-win for both students and employers. Many students obtain employment with their internship site upon graduation. For employers, it’s an opportunity to “test out” a potential employee, while providing practical, on-the-job training to students.

Since the inception of The Culinary School in 2002, more than 500 students have successfully completed the program.

Interested in a career in the food service industry? The next class of The Culinary School in both Newark and Milford begins Monday, February 13. To learn more or apply online, click here.