October 2025

Learning Cultural History Through High School Culinary Classes

Do high school students really want to learn to make a béarnaise or béchamel sauce in their culinary classes? Or do they find it more engaging to explore multiple cuisines that may be part of their family’s history?

Culinary instructor Chef Richard Willis has crafted a curriculum that is different than most culinary CTE programs – moving beyond the traditional French and Italian cooking and delving into ethnic cuisine and its history…and his students are loving it.

The back-to-school clothes still look new and teens’ backpacks aren’t yet showing any wear. But after just a few weeks of school, many high school students begin to lose interest and start to miss a few days of school.

For some, the initial excitement of coming back to school and seeing their friends have passed, and high school is more demanding than middle school. “We’re on high alert for signs that any students are starting to disengage and missing school days,” said Shellie Hanes, superintendent.

October is Dropout Prevention Month to raise awareness about the challenges students face that lead to dropping out of school and highlights the proven solutions that can make a difference. The good news is that high school attendance nationwide is improving, but it is still not as high as pre-pandemic.

Before enrolling at our school, Lia W. was emotionally and physically exhausted from the demands of traditional school — waking at 5 a.m., long commutes and rigid expectations. Struggling with substance use and losing motivation, she came close to dropping out.  

Lia found a supportive, student-centered model that respected her needs and gave her back a sense of control. Our online options and shortened in-person days made staying on track possible, even on difficult days. She credits her teachers for creating an inclusive, welcoming environment where she felt seen and uplifted.

Lia flourished at our school, graduated a full year early and gained the momentum and confidence that now fuels her journey after graduation. "This school didn’t just help me finish early, it gave me the space to discover who I am," she said. "With the right environment and people believing in you, you start believing in yourself-and once you have that, there's no limit to how far or how fast you can go."  

She’s currently working as a shift manager at Little Caesars while completing a real estate pre-­licensing course and plans to move to Montana to start her career.