Gilbert High Culinary Students Serve Up Success at State Convention

Gilbert High School’s Culinary Arts and FCCLA students took on a major challenge at the end of January, helping to cater breakfast for 300 advisors attending the Annual AASC Convention.

The three-day convention brought together more than 3,000 students and 300 advisors from across Arizona, and Gilbert High students played a key role behind the scenes. For Friday morning’s breakfast, the team prepared an impressive menu that included more than 300 muffins, 400 quiches, 200 parfaits, and fresh fruit salad.

What makes the accomplishment even more notable is that everything was created in Gilbert High’s original home-ec style kitchens, the oldest in the district, without access to commercial-grade equipment. Despite that, students worked together to pull off a large-scale catering event that typically only happens a couple of times each year.

Preparation for the event began weeks in advance, with Culinary II students testing recipes, scaling ingredients, and applying culinary math skills. During the week of the convention, students spent days producing quiches and baking muffins, while a team of 15 volunteers arrived as early as 6:00 a.m. on the day of the event to prep fruit and assemble parfaits. Other students managed the buffet line, providing professional service throughout the morning.

“I am forever grateful to the students who showed up outside of typical class hours to help wrap and label hundreds of quiches and store them properly in accordance with the FDA Food Code,” said Culinary Arts instructor Ms. Lawless. “Their dedication, professionalism, and attention to food safety made this event possible.”

The experience gave students a real-world look at what it takes to execute a large catering event, highlighting not only their culinary skills but also their teamwork, adaptability, and commitment.

“This experience represents everything our Culinary Arts program stands for: real-world learning, teamwork, and pride in doing meaningful work,” Lawless added. “Their willingness to step up and take ownership speaks volumes about the culture of our program.”

To learn about Culinary at Gilbert Public Schools, click here.