For Students — What’s Next For You?
Not sure which path fits you — more school, an internship, or jumping straight into the industry? You don’t have to figure it out alone. Come talk to Chef Bates about where you want to go, and we’ll help you build the plan to get there.
You’ve spent years building real skills in this kitchen — the kind employers and college programs actually look for. But knowing you’re ready isn’t the same as knowing where to go, and most students don’t have someone in their corner who’s spent years watching this industry closely enough to point them toward the right next step instead of just any next step. That’s what this is: a chance to get a straight answer, from someone who actually knows the programs, the kitchens, and the people behind them.
- Thinking about more school? Let’s talk about which programs fit your goals and your level.
- Want real kitchen experience before you graduate? Ask about current internship opportunities.
- Ready to start working? Let’s talk about which kitchens are the right fit to launch your career.
For Partners & Educators — Help Us Build the Pipeline
We’re always working to connect our students with the best schools, internships, and workplaces available to them. If you’re an educator, business, or working chef who wants to be part of that pipeline, here’s how:
Every strong culinary program needs a bench of people to send its best students to — and every strong college program, restaurant, or kitchen needs a reliable source of talent that’s actually trained to a real standard. That’s the trade here: our students arrive with genuine technical skill, professional habits, and industry certifications already in place, so partnering with us isn’t a favor, it’s a shortcut to the kind of people you’d otherwise spend months developing yourself. Whether that means recruiting from our program, teaching alongside us for a day, or coaching alongside our competition team, you’re getting early access to talent worth knowing.
- Host a student for an internship or job shadow
- Bring your program to our students as a next step after Wekiva
- Run an in-school demo and share your craft directly with our kitchen
- Host a field trip at your restaurant, facility, or business
- Join our staff as an assistant coach for a competition team
For Sponsors — Invest in the Next Generation
Behind every student opportunity is a program that has to be funded, equipped, and supported. If you want to invest directly in that work, here’s where it goes:
Every dollar and every donated piece of equipment here goes directly into the hands of students who will use it — not into overhead, not into administration, but into real kitchen time, competition travel, and the tools that let a 15-year-old learn on the same equipment they’ll use in a professional kitchen someday. Sponsorship here isn’t abstract goodwill; it’s a visible, traceable investment in a specific group of kids who are already proving, year after year, that they’re worth betting on.
- Fund scholarships, competition travel, and student opportunities
- Donate equipment, tools, or kitchen technology
- Provide ingredients or supplies for classroom labs and events