School is out for summer, but for dozens of Trimble Tech High School students they are still waking up early to head to campus.
Chef Natasha Bruton, who teaches the Culinary Arts program at Fort Worth Independent School District's Trimble Tech, opens the kitchen at 3 a.m. Mondays through Saturdays. Her culinary students arrive at 4 a.m. to prep for breakfast and dinner.
The students cook 220 meals for the JROTC Leadership Camp in Azle. Breakfast consist of frittatas, bacon, sausage, cut potatoes, fresh fruit, 189 biscuits and orange juice. The students also work in shifts to prepare dinner.
“The kitchen is like a classroom here,” Bruton said. “They are learning about Italian cuisine, French, Japanese and, of course, American, but they are also learning about leadership skills, time management and teamwork.”
The motto in the kitchen is “Team One, Dream One,” meaning the students work together and support each other’s dream of being successful.
“We are a family here," Bruton said. "You kind of have to be to motive teens to get up at 3 to be here at school by 4 a.m. They take it seriously and they are utilizing what they are learning here, to plan for their futures. I’m so proud of them."
