KENTWOOD, Mich. — East Kentwood High School has been cooking up something special.
Students now have a brand new space to build up their culinary talents.
The culinary arts department at the school has been completely revamped into a massive commercial kitchen space spanning 8,000 square feet.
The space will help students not only get more comfortable with cooking but also prepare them for the professional culinary world.
"I get to be in a class full of a variety of people and variety of grades," said student Isaiah Wright. "And I get to learn right along with them."
It's not your average classroom kitchen at East Kentwood High, and that's exactly how instructors wanted it.
"They get to experience it," said the class' teacher, Chef Donald Ram. "They get to smell, they get to cook their food, they get to taste their food and they get to share their food as well."
Ram is still in his first year at East Kentwood, but with a new kitchen area for both him and his students, he's helping students find their potential.
"We're not just giving them just how to make food for themselves," Ram said. "We're trying to elevate their mind and their thinking and their skills as well. So when they're using those skills, I mean they can literally take those skills anywhere in the world and have a job."
Even though not every student is an aspiring chef, the professional style of cooking means students need to communicate and work together.
"It pushes you out of your comfort zone with meeting new people and also like trying new things," said student Kristi Huynh.
And whether they're working with shark for the first time or coming up with a fresh new take on chicken fried rice, what's cooked up in their kitchen is a whole lot more than a meal.
"I have amazing students you know," Ram said. "I appreciate all the support and we've got so far and we know the sky is the limit from here and what we can do and what we can make."
The new kitchen has become a special place for a group of students who might have something to prove.
"A lot of EK students get a bad rep but we're all just living life where we're happy and if you get to know us where we show you a good time," Wright said.
The changes are the result of a 5 million dollar improvement project from the district's 2021 bond.
Chef Ram hopes the dishes cooked up in the class will eventually make their way out of the classroom and into the community.
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