(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Texas State Technical College Culinary Arts students recently gave back to first responders by way of homemade meals that also served as a learning experience for their American Regional course.
In the class, students prepare recipes from six different regions of the United States. The course prepares them with the essential skills to conquer large-quantity cooking, such as catering. When the meals are finalized and prepared, students are then tasked with choosing an organization in the community to deliver them to.
The students decided to send the meals to Harlingen Medical Center to say thank you to the medical professionals who are currently on the front line of the fight against the coronavirus. The delivery consisted of homemade chicken enchiladas with authentic refried beans, Mexican rice, and caramel flan.
“This particular gesture allowed our students to see how important it is to connect with their community,” said Culinary Arts instructor Emma Creps. “They are the future leaders of this industry, and it is vital that they learn the necessity of community involvement.”
Students learned other vital skills through this experience, such as communication, organization, and attention to detail when safely putting together a large amount of food.
“People getting together for a common goal is a great example of the importance of working together,” Creps said. “Communication skills also come into play during this lesson because we all had a responsibility to one another to finish this lesson in the safest way possible.”
Instructor Omar Duran reiterated that it is essential to remember that all of us are going through this time together.
“We need to share what we have with others, especially right now that we are all experiencing this crisis,” he said. “Medical professionals are putting themselves at risk on a daily basis to fight this.”
Creps shared the same thoughts about serving others during this time.
“Giving back to the community feels like we are showing our gratitude to the people who are working tirelessly through this pandemic,” she said. “I could tell that the group of nurses and medical technicians appreciated the gesture.”
To learn more about TSTC’s Culinary Arts program, visit https://www.tstc.edu/programs/CulinaryArts.
