“I’ve always wanted to be a baker,” said Kaylie, so it’s no surprise that she has twice enrolled in the Farm-to-Table Culinary class, one of many funded by CTE Foundation.
“I love this class and recommend it for everyone,” said Kaylie, a sophomore at Cloverdale High School. “I like the fact that we cook every week and I learn new and better ways to cook things than I already knew.”
She especially enjoyed the hands-on experience in the garden and getting important skills she can take anywhere in the future – not only in the kitchen but also project management and marketing.
“It surprised me to learn how easy it is to make homemade products like lip balm, lotion and candles. I’ve learned that instead of using chemicals, you can use bees wax. It’s just three ingredients and you’re done.”
Kaylie’s enthusiasm and experience were enough to impress Francis Ford Coppola Winery in Geyserville. Earlier this year, she and her classmates attended the Food & Beverage Manufacturing Career Summit hosted by CTE Foundation, and to her surprise, Kaylie was offered a baking job on the spot at the winery.
“I’m so excited,” Kaylie says. “I’m going to be in the baking department getting trained for two months and then I can actually be alone and do everything by myself.”
Kaylie says the class at Cloverdale High has been important because it has taught her tangible skills such as knife skills, and project management and marketing through events like the Cloverdale High School Food Fest.
“I would recommend this class just because it teaches you how to cook,” Kaylie says. “It teaches you that all you really have to do is follow directions. That’s really all cooking and baking is. We even get to make up our own recipes. I love doing it. I just love that whole class and the teacher is amazing.”
