One of our favorite programs at Caterina’s Club is The Hospitality Academy. Chef Bruno (along with many other helpful hands) continue to work together to offer at-risk teenagers the ability to enter the job force and provide them with the necessary skills to become employed. The Hospitality Academy gives teenagers a level of excitement about their future career, with involvement from executives from major hotels, hospitals, culinary schools, and businesses. This year’s graduates are set with a firm foundation and knowledge of the hospitality industry to increase their future opportunities in the job force.
The program featured amazing chefs sharing their years of experience with each dish their students created.
Chef Anahita shared her fine chopping skills into her Simple Salad Shirazi recipe, while Chef Antonio taught his students the details behind kneading.
Chef Jean Pierre showcased his Mushroom Risotto with Day Boat Seared Scallops and the importance behind blending flavors together.
In the kitchen, Chef Pascal showed his work behind making a delicious pastry. Chefs Eddie & David showed their students how to make a delicate Tiramisu, and Chef Laurent-Brazier shared his secret for creating a wholesome Rustic Tuscan Tomato Basil Soup anyone can enjoy.
Chef Maurice Brazier taught students how to prep potatoes, cheese, eggs, and other ingredients for his Potato Gratin Dauphinois recipe. With each new dish, came new lessons students would take in for their personal development.
We’re also so excited to share our students’ experience at the Hospitality Academy that we asked them to fill out a survey. Here are a few of the questions and responses we received.
Why did you join the Hospitality Academy?
Every student responded that they wanted to “gain real-world experience,” “be apart of the working world,” and “dedicate themselves to a job.”
I joined the Hospitality Academy because I wanted to gain real-world experiences. I’ve volunteered before, but I’ve never worked in a kitchen. I knew The Hospitality Academy would give me the experiences I needed to help me in my career down the line. – Camryn G
While many at-risk teenagers aren’t given the opportunities to gain real-world experience or immerse themselves in a job because of their home-life situation, programs like the Hospitality Academy allow everyone an equal and fair chance to experience for themselves what it’s like to work in customer service.
How has the Hospitality Academy impacted your life?
Not only does the Hospitality Academy help our students prepare for a job in the hospitality industry, but we also want to help shape our student’s lives in the right direction. Our mentors help guide our students down the right path. We work together to provide them with the skills, ethics, and knowledge necessary for their future career and life.
The Hospitality Academy helped me to appreciate dining services and forced me to learn skills in the kitchen AND the workplace. It has been one of the most beneficial and fun programs I’ve ever been a part of. – Emily H
What are some of the important lessons or skills you learned from the Hospitality Academy?
At Caterina’s Club we understand the importance of emotional intelligence and soft skills. We provide our students with the appropriate lessons and experiences to show them how to solve problems diligently, how to work as a team player, and how to remain kind in difficult circumstances. In the job force, it’s vital to understand how to harmonize with coworkers and customers. We teach our students there is more to a job than just the “work.” We want to shape our students into well-rounded individuals so they shine in their career.
I learned how to be kind to my coworkers because we learned it’s important to stay professional at work. I’ve also learned how to take initiative instead of waiting for the chefs to tell me what to do – part of working in the restaurant industry is having the ability to provide the best customer service as possible.” – Emily H
What is one of your favorite moments during the program?
Our students have too many favorite moments to share! Our hearts were filled to the brim when we read our students responses. Here are a few:
I honestly have to say just showing up and being surrounded by a family environment is one of my favorite moments during the program. – Kody S
My favorite moment is when we are all in the back after a long shift and we’re just laughing together. – Camryn G
We wanted to share a few experiences from our graduates of the 2019 Hospitality Academy internship so other aspiring interns may peek into one of our wonderful programs. If you’re interested in becoming apart of The Hospitality Academy apply here.
We also have more ways to get involved in our fight to break the poverty cycle. Learn more about helping our community today by visiting our website.