MILFORD, DE- The 2024 graduates from The Kitchen School are being celebrated at The Delaware Food Bank today.
The Kitchen School is a 12 week program designed for students with disabilities. During their 12 weeks at the program, they are taught real life skills, such as cooking and cleaning skills, to prepare them for careers in the food and hospitality industry.
Today, nine students walked across the stage in their chef uniforms and received their certificate from the program. Friends and family members gathered to celebrate these students for their hard work and accomplishments.
Angelo Carannante, a 2024 graduate of the program, tells us how impactful this program has been on both him as a person, and on his future.
"These experiences we got are the jumpstart to the future. I can't recommend it [the program] enough. I`ve learned a lot, I`ve grown a lot, and I can't even express how happy I am to know these people".
The Kitchen School has partnerships with many local businesses such as the Harrington Casino, Grotto Pizza, and My Sisters Fault. These partnerships allow for students to have the opportunity to interview with businesses for jobs, all before even graduating the program.
Shalisa Alexander, Chef Instructor at The Kitchen School, tells us how this interview opportunity has set many of her students up for success.
"They come, they interview, and they hire some of the kids. It's really great. I have some students from my last class working, and most of these students are working too”.
Shalisa also says that these students are very prepared for the service industry, and tells us that many of them passed their SERV Safe Certification exam.
She wants the community to give these kids a chance, and cannot wait for them to use the skills they worked so hard on.
"The things we take for granted that they don't- we take it for granted that we can get up, go to work, clock out, and get a paycheck. They don't take that for granted."
These nine graduates are ready to begin working in Delaware's service industry, and are eager to start cooking up some of Delaware's best dishes.