South Lakes is one of the few schools in Fairfax Country that offers Culinary as an academy class. The class is offered to juniors and seniors, and is a two credit course.

Culinary Arts is a Career and Technical Education, a course designed to help students experience real world jobs, and for the purpose of Culinary it provides the experience of a real world restaurant Job.

Chef Cynthia Stowers encourages students to join the program.

“[Students] not only learn how to cook, they learn work place readiness skills,” Stowers said. “Students stay with these skills even if they don’t stay in the restaurant business.”

Senior Maria Ingea recognizes the skills learned in the class.

“You learn a lot of life skills,” Ingea said. “You learn how to fill out a job application and how to dress for an interview. You get a lot of certifications too.”

Students in level two are allowed to test for their ServeSafe Food Handler Certification which allows students to work in a restaurant. Level one students learn work place readiness skills such as learning how to build an application and the job hiring process.

The culinary arts program also offers catering on site and off and offers a variety of lunches including, boxed, buffet, and full service throughout the year.

Students join for a variety of reasons.

“I joined because a friend wanted me to,” senior Samantha Klonaris said. “I stayed and decided to take level two because the program is amazing and Chef Stowers is amazing.”

Senior Scott Waters is an IBCC diploma candidate, which requires a CTE course.

“I’ve been fascinated with culinary,” Waters said. “So I decided to take it.”

Other students such as senior Miki Konishi grew up with an interest in food.

“My family members are foodies,” Konishi said. “I’ve grown up around eating lots of different kinds of food, and I was interested in learning how to cook and furthering my culinary education.”

The program held its first lunch for faculty on Friday, September 13. The lunch consisted of three wrap sandwiches including, curry chicken wrap, turkey wrap with honey mustard, and a Greek salad wrap.