“I grew up cooking with my mom and I learned to love the creativity and science,” stated Jeanette Blevins, Culinary Instructor at Northwest Technology Center’s Fairview campus. “I have a passion for helping students learn the basics of cooking.”
Blevins became the Culinary Instructor at Northwest Technology Center in the fall of 2015. She is a native of Cherokee, OK and has a degree in Vocational Family and Consumer Sciences from Northwestern Oklahoma State University.
Northwest Technology Center’s Culinary Arts program focuses on the fields of hospitality and food service. Students learn safety, use of tools including knife skills, and have on-campus and private industry training experiences. Students can also gain certifications through the ServSafe and ProStart programs provided by the National Restaurant Association.
Blevins stated that the program is open to both high school and post-secondary or adult students. Two career options are offered. They include Culinary Assistant and Culinary Arts Assistant. In the Culinary Assistant program, students learn kitchen fundamentals. This career option prepares students to become entry-level culinary assistants. The Culinary Arts Assistant prepares students for a career in food services and/or food preparation.
Along with classroom work, Culinary students participate in a variety of hands on training opportunities including caterings, culinary exhibitions. Students also participate in culinary competitions designed to prepare them for the workplace. Recently, Culinary Arts student Ceairra Gulliford won the district Family and Career Sciences (FCCLA) Job Interview contest and qualified for the Regional Competition in February. Gulliford is a senior at Fairview High School.
For more information on the Culinary Arts program at NWTC, please contact Jeanette Blevins at 580.227.3708 or via email at jblevins@nwtech.edu.