Family Recipes And Life Lessons

     An award-winning teacher in the culinary program has been guiding students for over 10 years. In February, FACS teacher Rachel Mitchell won the Culinary Teacher’s Excellence Award.

     Mitchell attributed her success to her parents, who worked in the food industry. Her father, a district manager for Yum Brands, which includes Long John Silvers and other fast-food chains, was responsible for profit and loss statements, hiring and firing managers, while her mother catered for different companies and now owns her own company.

          “I grew up in it,” Mitchell said, recalling how she used to help her mother when she was 5 years old. “So I’ve just always been in it. I’m working an event for her here in a couple of months.”

          Mitchell said she learned more than just food from her parents.

“Work ethic,” Mitchell said. “And a general understanding of how things work in a kitchen and also in your business, the everyday expectations.”

She said there is a community in her classroom.

   “It’s kind of like a family, like all working together,” Mitchell said. “It’s kind of like the chaos of it. It’s like organized chaos, and you see what doesn’t look like it’s going to come together.”      

          Mitchell said her mom is a hard worker, and she is very similar.

“My mom never stops. That is something that I have,” Mitchell said. “Sometimes I wish she would just sit down and relax. But there’s always something that can be done and always some way to improve.”

   She said that is what her kitchen is like — little to no sitting.

     “There’s always something to do,” Mitchell said.  “There’s always something that can be cleaned. There’s always somebody that needs your help.” 

     She wanted to teach her students that things are not always about themselves and that they should work in a team, using her childhood family dynamics as an example. 

‘We’re doing this as a family,” Mitchell said. “So if you sit down, and you’re being lazy, that’s all about everybody else.”

     Mitchell’s parents are close in her heart, and although her father passed away about a year ago, she sees her mom at least once a week.

     “We do family dinner once a week, every week,” Mitchell said. “So we spend a lot of time together. And she actually has a few weddings to cater coming up that I will be helping with.”

      Mitchell said she strives to make a difference in her students’ lives and help them achieve their culinary goals. She is determined to improve the already award-winning program and provide more opportunities for students to grow and learn. 

     After 10 years at Staley High School, Mitchell is leaving the school district to teach closer to her home.