William S. Hutchings College & Career Academy holds Toque Ceremony for First Year Culinary Arts Students

“I enjoy cooking and my moma likes to cook, so I just want to cook too, to follow behind her,” said Ja’Kayla Shine, First Year Culinary Arts Student at William S. Hutchings College & Career Academy.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Over at William S. Hutchings College & Career Academy first year culinary students were honored with a Toque Ceremony.

According to the Academy, the ceremony is named after the traditional chef’s toque, a tall, white, pleated hat, symbolizing culinary accomplishment and expertise. Each student received their own toque to commemorate earning their ServSafe Manager Certification, which involved displaying skills in food safety, personal hygiene, temperature control, preventing cross-contamination and more.

Ja’Kayla Shine, First Year Culinary Arts Student at William S. Hutchings College & Career Academy, who’s favorite thing to cook is chicken and alfredo, tells us why she got into the program.

“I enjoy cooking and my moma likes to cook, so I just want to cook too, to follow behind her,” said Shine.

Shine says she’s planning to be a nurse or psychologist in future, but it’s also nice to have the culinary field as another option.

“Only 9% of the adults that take this test, pass it the first time, so it’s quite an accomplishment for these students to pass this test, being high school students, first time in a culinary setting, being in a kitchen,” said Chef Mark Robinson, First Year Culinary Arts Instructor for William S. Hutchings College & Career Academy. “So now all the fun begins after this celebration, that’s when they are going to get in the kitchen and start learning cooking techniques. They already learned their knife skills, so like I said this is when the fun begins.”

Chef Robinson says students have earned their white coats and pants and the right to be in the kitchen on a daily basis going forward, in total 51 students were honored today.