At Carihi, there are many programs linked to the events and overall functioning of the school.
Most of these activities can be taken as courses and one of those is called Food Service Studies where any student can learn how to cook food and serve the public during lunch hours. The work is hands on, great for beginners, and is a fantastic way to make new friends.
One student at Carihi, Emily Bertrand, took the baking course, which is a branch of food services, during her first semester because she loved working with food and especially loved the baking aspect of it.
“You’d think it’s super busy with all of the people, but it’s actually a lot of fun getting to know everyone so well,” says Bertrand.
The work the class did daily was a bit inconsistent, but for Bertrand, she liked being ready for anything, even if that included just doing the dishes.
“We were productive every day,” says Bertrand. “We wanted to be on top of everything.”
The first week of classes is just training, then the real fun begins. The students continue to help cooking and serving through lunch hour. In total, there are around 22 students who work in the cafeteria, who then split up into groups for serving throughout the week, not including Friday.
Chef Jessica Mann is the teacher of all these courses. Because she loves kids and cooking, she is the right person for the job. She gives a lot of her personal time for the success of the cafeteria.
Both Mann and Bertrand agree that cooking is an essential part of living, and that working in the cafeteria is one of the best places to start.