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Diego, Wekiva HS Student: Welcome to Mondays with Maria. Now here's our superintendent, Dr. Maria Vazquez. Woo!

Announcer: Presented by Addition Financial Credit Union. Here's OCPS Superintendent Dr. Maria Vazquez.

Dr. Vazquez: Thank you for that wonderful introduction. As you can see, we are on the road again. This time, we are visiting the culinary magnet program at Wekiva High School. One of the many choice programs offered through Orange County public schools. Diego and his classmates are getting ready to fix us some wonderful dessert. But first, I think I need some coffee.

Dr. Vazquez: My gosh, everything looks so good. I am here today with Zaria and Parker, two students in the culinary program here at Wekiva, and both of you made the decision to be part of the culinary program. So let's start with Parker. What got you interested?

Parker, Wekiva HS Student: I really have a passion for cooking and making people happy. So joining this program really fostered those passions that I have. The whole thing, everything about it.

Dr. Vazquez: That’s amazing. Okay, so Zariah, what got you interested?

Zariah, Wekiva HS Student: Mine is different. I didn't know how to cook. I was making scrambled eggs with my mom and baking box brownies. Like I really wanted to learn, like how to cook. And when I first got here, I felt the pressure because I remember our first dish was the Red Lobster Cheddar Bay biscuits. And when we were making our dough from scratch, I was like, okay, I see the difference now.

Dr. Vazquez: And you also competed, correct?

Parker, Wekiva HS Student: Yeah, I have, I competed in restaurant management twice. I went to Baltimore for nationals. Last year, in restaurant management, we created a full-scale restaurant concept from the menu design, the pricing, to all the menu items, you know?

Dr. Vazquez: Wow. So, we've come a long way from just the scrambled eggs, right? So, you also had an event a few weeks ago, right? And the taste of Wekiva. Right. And there were chefs, Master chefs who were invited. And so, they cooked some of their renowned dishes, and the students also got a chance to learn how to make them right. Let's talk a little bit about what that event was all about.

Parker, Wekiva HS Student: You know, it is really cool because we were able to get the opportunity in order to work with amazing chefs and make amazing high-end dishes that frankly none of us have experience with. So it was really great to get that experience. Like, for instance, I made Wagyu beef tacos, and like, that's like a dream come true. Making Wagyu tacos. Yeah, it was great. It was amazing.

Zariah, Wekiva HS Student: I was mainly working with the corn dog leaks. They were really good. Yeah. And it was so fun to make.

Dr. Vazquez: Absolutely amazing. So, if there are students out there watching the show and they, you know, really hadn't thought about the culinary program, what would you tell them?

Parker, Wekiva HS Student: I would say it's really fun and you won't regret joining it. Yeah.

Zariah, Wekiva HS Student: I would say join it. Like you can make a lot of friends. Like, I didn't think I was going to meet a lot of people. You get to know people a lot. Everybody works together. You learn a lot of skills. You're given like a lot of opportunities. Like I didn't know what I wanted to do when I grew up, but now I want to be in culinary.

Dr. Vazquez: Well, that's wonderful to hear. Zaria. I had a chance to watch you and some of your classmates make this delicious pizza. Let's take a look.

Dr. Vazquez: It looks great, right? Oh my gosh. That oven is like, I need that on my Christmas list. Alright, so we've talked about the hands-on experiences that you've had, the competitions, and why it's a great program. But let's talk about one other thing that is taught. And those are entrepreneurial skills, correct? So, tell us what some of the things are that you've learned if you wanted to have your own business?

Zariah, Wekiva HS Student: I learned how to actually like the process behind running a restaurant. Like we've learned, you need profit. You need to ask for money, and you need to get a loan from a bank. You have to know what you're making. You have to create a menu, and you have to do marketing. Like we learned all the steps behind it and how it needs to actually run behind the scenes instead of just making food and selling it.

Dr. Vazquez: Well, you guys have been wonderful on the show. I think we are now ready when the camera stops rolling to take a bite and then head over to dessert. What do you think? Yeah. All right. Great.

Dr. Vazquez: Oh my gosh, that pizza was amazing. I am stuffed.

Diego, Wekiva HS Student: Well, you always do a little bit of dessert.

Dr. Vazquez: Oh yeah. I always have room for dessert. All right. So Wekiva is one of only 48 schools across the country that was awarded a grant from the Rachel Ray Foundation to start their very own student-run ice cream cart. This looks amazing, Diego.

Diego, Wekiva HS Student: Thank you.

Dr. Vazquez: So, Diego, you have been involved in the program. What other skills and opportunities have you received from being a part of the program?

Diego, Wekiva HS Student: I just want to start by saying the program is like one of the most multifaceted things you can actually be involved in here at Wekiva. I mean, besides just the cooking, it takes so many other skills to actually be involved in the program.

Dr. Vazquez: Great opportunity, leadership skills, opportunities to speak. And then all that went into the presentation. Alright, so I am, I'm definitely going to taste this. Okay. I said I was full, but I'm never too full for dessert.

Diego, Wekiva HS Student: Never. Never.

Dr. Vazquez: Oh my gosh. Amazing, delicious, great way to end my meal. If you want to learn more about our choice programs, go to our website, at SchoolChoice.ocps.net, and you can find out information, not just about the culinary magnet, but about the other choice programs we have in our district. Thank you to the incredible students at Wekiva High School, Chef Bates, and all of the staff who made today possible. Thank you for watching. Don't forget to like, follow, and subscribe to the Mondays with Maria Show. Have a wonderful week

Announcer: For an extended conversation on today's topic. Listen to the Mondays with Maria podcast, available wherever you get your podcasts. Mondays with Maria is presented by Addition Financial Credit Union. Count us in for every step of your financial journey. Learn more at Additionfi.com. For more OCPS news and information, visit TheSlice.ocps.net. I'm your announcer, Emily Hannon, a student at Audubon Park School. Thanks for watching, and have a great week.