High school teachers from Alaska to Louisiana are cutting it up with Cougars at Seattle’s Seahawk Stadium the week of June 23 – 27.
In chef’s hats and starched white aprons, these 26 men and women educators are becoming students once again to get hands-on lessons about everything from gourmet meal preparation to nutritional menu planning to teamwork. At the head of the class will be professors and alumni of Washington State University’s School of Hospitality Business Management, who spent months planning the week-long class.
In the teachers’ home high schools, their students who are interested in careers in hospitality participate in ProStart, the school-to-career youth program of the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation. WSU hosted its first summer class session for ProStart educators last year at its main campus in Pullman.
This year, WSU culinary educator Gene Fritz decided to try a new venue and was excited when stadium operator First & Goal and stadium concessionaire ARAMARK offered the Stadium Club Kitchen for the class facility.
“Educators in the class are coming from as near as Renton and Yakima and as far away as New Iberia, Louisiana, Noble, Oklahoma, and Palmer, Alaska, so learning to cook like chefs in a professional kitchen that offers breathtaking vistas of Seattle will definitely make this a five-star experience for everyone,” says Fritz.
Terry Umbreit, school director, added that, “We’re excited to give these ProStart educators a taste of our hospitality program at WSU. They play an important role in helping their students bridge the gap from high school to college and then on to their careers. We want to be sure they know what a quality program WSU offers in hospitality and business.”
According to the week’s agenda, their busy days start around 7:15 a.m. and some don’t end until late evening. They will shop for fresh foods at Pike Place Market, sup at Buca de Beppo and at Union Square Grill, and, of course, go to classes. HBM professors and alumni will teach them about service excellence, nutrition, menu costing and pricing, the concepts and benefits of teamwork, and diversity in the hospitality industry.
And, they will roll up their chef’s sleeves to learn to properly wield an array of kitchen knives and to prepare basic stocks, soup, and sauces. One afternoon will be devoted to learning basic baking principles that is followed immediately by a “tasting of the breads.” Their week in the kitchen whips to a frenzy on Thursday morning, when they will prepare dishes with meats, seafood, poultry, and vegetables, and then present the haute cuisine to each other using creative “plate composition,” as is done in fine restaurants.
“One of the most fun aspects of the week is that they do get to feast on and savor everything they prepare,” said Fritz, who himself regularly competes in food competitions in the region. HBM students sometimes join him at the events.
“By the end of the week, the ProStart educators will have a good taste for what our hospitality students experience during their culinary education courses at WSU, and beyond, as graduates of the program working in the largest industry in the world — hospitality,” said Umbreit.
The WSU hospitality program, formerly known as Hotel and Restaurant Administration, was redesignated as a “school” in the WSU College of Business and Economics in spring 2002 and changed its name to “hospitality business management” to more accurately reflect what its students learn. The program, 71 years old, is a leader among hospitality programs around the world. Students earn a four-year baccalaureate degree, and develop special management skills tailored to the hospitality industry.
To graduate, they must log at least 1,000 internship hours; by commencement, the average student has received more than 4 job offers. Just this year, HBM received the No. 1 rating among leading U.S. hospitality programs for providing the best career services help to its students.
HBM students also have many opportunities to study abroad, including a semester at the program’s sister site in Brig, Switzerland. They can join student clubs that give them leadership and teamwork experience in producing large-scale events — such as the annual, fundraising fall Winefest — as well as intimate, black-tie dinners and events for university administrators and special guests.
This fall, Fritz and his WSU students will produce several special evening meals, open to the public, at the Pullman campus. For more information, go to
