STOW, Ohio — Since Stow-Munroe Falls High School opened in the late 1980s, students at six different Summit County high schools have been able to take part in a culinary arts program.
What You Need To Know
- Joshua's Restaurant is a restaurant that provides hands-on experiences for students to learn culinary arts
- Since Stow-Munroe Falls High School opened in the late 1980s, students at six different high schools have been able to take part
- The restaurant is open to the public Thursdays and Fridays
Students at Cuyahoga Falls, Hudson, Kent, Stow-Munroe Falls, Tallmadge and Woodridge get hands-on experience in a full-blown kitchen and restaurant called Joshua’s.
Since she was young, Rhyin Flickinger had a clear career goal.
"It probably clicked when I was about 10 — realizing how much I cook and bake," she said. "This is definitely something I want to do. It makes me happy. Why not do something that makes you happy?”
Her passion for food began in the kitchen with her dad, and now she dreams of one day opening her own pastry bakery.
She’s well on her way, in part thanks to the training she’s getting at Joshua's Restaurant.
“Going to be, like, one of the things I’m going to miss after high school is coming in here and cooking," she said.
This is the second year the senior at Cuyahoga Falls has been part of the program.
“It wasn’t hard to make new friends, especially since we all have something in common," said Flickinger.
Flickinger, 17, is in the class Monday through Friday alongside her friends, preparing recipes from scratch to serve to fellow students, staff and community members.
“You’re always learning new things and how to make new things," she said.
On the day Spectrum News visited, the class was making roasted red pepper ravioli.
“That’s the fun part about it. You never know what’s going to happen when you walk in," said Flickinger.
The restaurant is open to the public Thursdays and Fridays.“It got named after Joshua, who was the founder of Stow,” said Shelley Giangaspero. Her students knows her as “Chef G.”
Chef G. is one of the career tech program’s longtime instructors.
“This is my true passion,” she said. “Being in the kitchen and working with kids. I mean, doesn’t get better.”
Approximately 50 students are accepted each year. Usually, the class is made up of 25 juniors and 25 seniors.
Chef G. said students leave with more than just tangible cooking skills.
“They can get ServSafe certified, which is huge. That’s a class that you have to take in culinary school unless they passed it here," said Chef G.
But it’s not just for students like Flickinger who plan to pursue culinary arts professionally. Becoming a better cook is something Chef G. said everyone can benefit from.
“This is something that they can use to create awesome meals for their family or their significant other," said Chef G.
Flickinger said she’s grateful this program has helped set her up for success as she looks forward to life after high school.
“It will help in the end," she said.