Four students representing Daviess County High School will participate in the Cook Around the World experience at Disney World in Orlando on April 28-May 2. As part of the experience, DCHS students will participate in cooking challenges under the oversight of celebrity chef Amanda Freitag.
A regular judge on the Food Network’s Chopped, Freitag is also a cookbook author and former executive chef who has battled Bobby Flay on Iron Chef America and competed for the title of America’s Next Iron Chef.
Students Chase Cecil, Taylor Keener, Lear Tabigue and Lee Wathen will be part of a cooking competition against other schools from around the world. The competition is designed to give students insight into the importance of effective communication, teamwork and strategic planning as they compete to create a winning dish to represent an assigned region of the world.
Students will also learn about potential careers in the culinary and hospitality industry from Disney cast members representing a variety of departments and areas at the Disney resort. They will also participate in discussions conducted by members of the Disney resort management team and culinary professionals.
Cook Around the World also gives the opportunity for other learning experiences like the Behind the Seeds tour where students have the opportunity to learn about new food technology in the agriculture industry.
Students who are enrolled in the Culinary and Food Services career pathway, as well as students who are members of Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), were given the opportunity to participate in this career-focused event.
“This program extends what they learn in the classroom and places them in a real-world experience within the culinary industry,” said Erica Selby, faculty sponsor who serves as a Family Consumer Science teacher and FCCLA advisor at DCHS. “Cook Around the World also allows our students to develop connections with other students from across the world who have a common interest in the culinary and hospitality industry, all while learning about other cultures throughout this immersive experience.”
