On Saturday, January 13, Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida recognized 13 Culinary Training Program students during a graduation ceremony. Food bank staff, family, friends and employers joined the festivities to celebrate students from classes 50 and 51 for their achievement. Over 16 weeks, students learned hands-on food preparation and gained kitchen training similar to the curriculum of professional culinary institutions. In addition, students learned workplace and life skills to help them pursue and sustain a new career in the local food industry.
Breanna Tippens, a 2022 graduate, spoke about her career path upon completing the program. She accepted an internship at a local hotel where she gained experience in pastries, banquets and restaurant-style events. When Breanna encountered challenges during the internship, she relied on the lessons taught in life-skills sessions to help her build better working relationships with her coworkers. She encouraged the new graduates to maintain a high character in the workplace and never give up.
Shelby Farrell was the commencement speaker during the ceremony and shared her journey to becoming the Chef De Cuisine at Four Flamingos at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Resort. Providing some reality to the graduates, she gave them a look at the road ahead.
“The days of hiding behind the line are no longer,” said Shelby. “You’ll have to be able to speak to your clients and build relationships, take criticism and compliments.”
Shelby shared that success in the culinary field requires dedication, passion, creativity, thoughtfulness, leadership, and the ability to be a team player. Developing interpersonal skills is as important as culinary skills. She ended her speech with a closing thought to the graduates entering the culinary field, “Keep your head held high, do good work, and cook good food.”
Program leaders presented Paul with the Best Attendance Award. Amidst transportation barriers during his time in the program, Paul found a way to attend every class, rain or shine.
Two students were recognized for going above and beyond during their time in the program. Dezmond and Gabriel embodied the invaluable traits of being coachable, ready to help their classmates, and leading tasks when needed.
Since the beginning of the program in 2013, community support of the program has helped 470 individuals facing barriers to employment receive the skills needed to thrive in the workforce. Thank you for being a part of this transformational journey.
The Culinary Training Program is changing lives.
Online applications are available for the next class.
