For as long as I can remember my favorite place in the world has been the kitchen. It is only natural that my destiny is to become a great chef. I am in love with the thrill of cooking and food preparation. There is nothing that I would rather do or even think about. The Culinary World is where I will live forever. When I am in the kitchen cooking all my troubles melt away. All my senses are stimulated by the sight, sound, taste, smell and texture of food. My imagination is stimulated by the challenge of taking ordinary food and creating something extraordinary. Everyone has to eat but it is my passion to share with the world, the experience of fine dining. People love food that is pleasing to the eye. They appreciate the mouth- watering smells and anticipate the fulfillment of the texture and taste. It excites and pleases me to see them enjoy normal food, which I have transformed into a culinary masterpiece.
When I was a young boy I helped my Grandma cook whenever I could. She usually was glad to have my help. To her it was a natural way to let me learn math, science and following directions. If an ingredient was left out or the temperature was not correct for example, the outcome was an immediate consequence. Since I liked to eat good food I would try to be careful so the immediate consequence would be favorable.
In junior high I took home economics for both years. These were my favorite classes and where other people noticed and encouraged my natural talent for cooking. I got good grades in these classes also, which was good for my ego. Up to this point in school I hadn't received many good grades.
In high school I was placed in the TLC. (Transitional Learning Center). It was a place where kids like me could get the extra help they needed to be successful in the mainstream classrooms. When I was five years old I was identified as having autism. Anyway, my teacher, Mr. Antlitz, understood that cooking soothes the soul for some of us kids. He offered a basic cooking class to also teach us life skills. I loved it!
In high school, however; I took the opportunity to enroll in the Culinary Arts program at Owen Sabin Occupational Skills Center. In June I will be graduating from that 4-year program as an honor student. The training and experience I received there is priceless. I feel that it has given me a tremendous head start on my career path.
Also, for the last 3 years I have been an active member of Thursday evening, Culinary Club. Besides cooking just for the fun of it with other like-minded students and staff I also have had the privilege of participating in numerous catering opportunities, fundraisers and bazaars. Also, worth mentioning is my involvement with Skills USA and Pro Start.
My nephew, Goeffrey, has Asberger Syndrome. When he was a little boy our family was very concerned about his behavior. My father and step mother have ended up raising him, because his mother also has special needs. She was not able to raise him alone. My dad is a very wise and patient man, but Geoffrey was not your typical child with normal behavior. They were challenged with the task of raising their grandson over the years. I am an early childhood specialist with a great deal of experience with special needs children in the classroom. I offered them some advice over the years specifically during Geoffreys early child hood years. They were wise to get Geoffrey involved in a typical preschool classroom as well as every opportunity they could to involve him in sports or summer camps. Goeffrey was included in every activity they were able to include him in over the years. Geoffrey was a difficult child who spent a great deal of time in the principal’s office, suspended and many other discipline issues over the year. He also was placed in self contained classrooms at times. It was not easy raising him, but his successes over the years were far greater than his failures. Geoffrey is graduating from public high school this year. Several of the people who were at Mondays training played some role in Geoffrey’s education over the years.
Last month I was invited to Geoffrey’s senior high school project . It was amazing! His teacher said it was one of the best senior projects he has ever seen. Geoffrey invited around fifty people. He planned the a menu and ran a crew of about 15 students who helped in preparing and serving a very professional meal for all their guests. Geoffrey had displays sharing what they would cook, the history of the meals, and the culture from which the meals originated. Geoffrey invited family and friends, but what was even more special was he invited several of the teachers who had supported him over the years. He even had his early childhood teachers there.
It was amazing watching this young man, who many of us had many doubts when he was a child, successfully run a crew and communicate his thoughts as well as prepare and serve a very elaborate meal to over fifty people. He organized and ran a crew of his peers with confidence. To top it all off Geoffrey has won a cooking contest and has been accepted at the Portland Culinary School. He has also received two scholarships at this point and is currently applying for more. I have been very impressed with the work that Geoffrey had done over the years. I have also been impressed with how this team of people have helped Geoffrey reach his potential over the years. I love the way they included Geoffrey into their community and helped him to have long term success over the years.
Written by Goeffrey’s Aunt
Ashley's Story
Keeping up with your friends and siblings is a hard job for a child who doesn't feel very well. It can be even harder for a child without a voice. Last year we had a young girl with a chronic medical condition, we will can Ashley, scheduled to enroll in our preschool classroom in the Fall. Due to her medical condition Ashley could not verbally communicate. She was able to get a head start in the summer BOOST program through the University of Oregon Early Intervention Program. This gave teachers, parents and nurses a chance to plan for the school year ahead. Teachers assessed current levels of ability across domains while parents assessed health, energy levels and emotional needs. At the end of the summer the team agreed- this child is ready for PreK!
At a team planning meeting we tried to get ready for the school year ahead. There were more questions than answers. Would a full time nurse be needed at school? Could we learn to communicate and establish a relationship? As the school year unfolded we realized that communication would be the biggest issue. Working together with Speech-Language professionals we incorporated sign language and a voice output device into our classroom. The "I need help" button became a class favorite! She excelled in our class, made many friends, and taught us more than we taught her.
At the end of the school year we knew that Ashley was ready for kindergarten. She can independently get attention, share ideas, and enjoys school. Ashley has taught us that you don't need a voice to be heard if your friends talk with their hands and listen with their eyes.