Career and Technical Education students give presentations on career options in the food service and hospitality industry

Four judges listened intently at the front of the cold kitchen at Mount Vernon High School on Friday, November 1, 2024, as students in the Introduction to  Hospitality and Culinary class, a new Career and Technical Education course, presented their projects about careers in the food service industry. 

Six groups presented their PowerPoints to the judges, covering a variety of career options in the industry including wedding cake designer and food blogger. For their projects, students discussed skill requirements and certifications for the job, salary, demographics and work life, as well strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for the position. 

The judges for the event were Principal Pauline Pearce, Assistant Principal Tiffany Izzo, Career and Technical Education Director Brian Simmons and culinary teacher Samatha Cohen.They scored each of the groups based on the components in their presentations.

“Being a judge was an honor today,” said Mr. Simmons. “It demonstrated how far the amazing students of our incredible hospitality program have progressed in such a short time. This is evidence of a program that is bound to be wildly successful.” 

Hospitality Management is a new pathway introduced at Mount Vernon High School this year for students participating in CTE. This course will provide students with access to hands-on career training in the hospitality sector, preparing them for post secondary opportunities. 

Asher Nicholson and Jason Anderson won first place with their presentation on the life of a line cook. Skyler Mack, Amirah Arroya and Taj Lovell placed second for their presentation on the life of a food scientist, and Ciara Brown, Skarlette Reyes and Tristan Uzzle placed third for their PowerPoint on the life of a sushi chef. 

“The career we chose was a food scientist,” said Skyler Mack, a 10th grader at MVHS. “I picked that one because I think science is very interesting and when I did further research, I realized how important food scientists are. They make sure our food is okay so we don’t get sick. It was a really interesting experience working on this project because we all had different points of views; we all came together and added our ideas.”