Megan MacDonald knew she wanted to be a pastry chef when, in third grade, her mom gave her an ice-cream maker for Christmas.
The 17-year-old’s love for ice cream, pastries and baking continued when she joined Eastside High School’s Institute of Culinary Arts freshman year.
This year, Eastside’s was the only high-school culinary program in Florida to be nationally recognized, receiving the honor for the third consecutive year.
The National Center for Hospitality Studies named the program the 12th best in the U.S. among highschools and technical centers, said Billie DeNunzio, or “Chef D,” the director of the high-school’s culinary institute.
“It felt fantastic,” she said. “We were very humbled.”
The 70-student program offers courses ranging from beginning to advanced in culinary arts, nutrition and restaurant management, DeNunzio said. After graduating, about 80 percent of the program’s students will study culinary arts or hospitality management in college, he added.
Among the qualifications needed to be considered for the recognition, the programs needed to show high enrollment and community outreach, while submitting recipes or restaurant management designs, according to a press release.
The program’s competition team participates in about 20 culinary contests per year, DeNunzio said. For the past nine years, her team has been the best in the state.
In addition to being a high-school junior, MacDonald works as a prep cook at Embers Wood Grill in Gainesville.
Although most people think of her as just a kid, she said she knows more culinary skills than some of her co-workers 10 years her senior.
After attending her first competition, MacDonald said she noticed that her high school’s program is different than its competitors.
“We hold ourselves to a higher standard,” she said. “You can see we have pride in what we do. We drill it into ourselves.”
Last year, three of DeNunzio’s students continued their education at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in New York City.
Although she is one of only two teachers in the culinary program, she said local chefs and restaurant managers often visit the school to lecture students on how to be successful in the hospitality world.
“We bring in a tremendous number of resources, and I think that’s one of the things that makes our kids so good,” DeNunzio said.
