Today we’d like to introduce you to Courtney Merritt.
Hi Courtney, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I was born in San Diego but grew up in La Costa, a quiet and hilly suburb of Carlsbad. I attended San Dieguito High School in Encinitas and then went to the University of Arizona to earn a double major in English and Spanish. During the second semester of my junior year at U of A, I decided to study in Madrid to perfect my Spanish. I’m a very social and curious person, so moving to a foreign country without knowing a soul was an opportunity to really immerse myself in the culture and practice my Spanish with every person I could. I made friends with the local produce merchants, restaurant servers, and the little old lady who sold tortillas españolas in Retiro Park. I love trying new foods, and I was fascinated by the variety of exotic cuisine that Spain had to offer. I couldn’t wait to cook the new recipes I learned for my friends and family. When I graduated from college, I really didn’t know what I wanted to do for a living and missed speaking Spanish, so I moved to Costa Rica by myself for a year to teach English to early elementary school students. I wanted to share my experiences as an American by showing them one of our most important culinary traditions, Thanksgiving. I made the Costa Rican teachers a delicious feast. It made me proud to see the instant gratification on their faces when they took the first bite. After all, food is what brings everyone together.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One of the biggest challenges that I’ve encountered so far is figuring out a teaching system that works. Before the course could even be offered, it was necessary to build the kitchen from scratch. We needed to buy the equipment for the barbecue island which includes a barbeque, a ten-burner commercial range with two ovens, a refrigerated salad and sandwich prep station, two flat grills and all the storage drawers and cabinets. We also required two refrigerators, a deep freezer chest, and a working pantry. After almost two years of collecting invaluable funds and donations, the kitchen was finally ready to be put to use! The program has only been running for three quarters now, and I still have a lot to learn. It’s been a challenge to devise an efficient system that keeps the cooking program running while staying within a sparse budget. At first, I felt the need to run everything myself since I am the teacher. For example, I had to decide upon healthy, garden-fresh recipes based upon what is in season, predict the cost of groceries each week, budget my money for each quarter, assign job duties for the students, make sure that the kitchen was always clean and stay in communication with Bob, the agriculture and aquaponics teacher, to ensure a smooth garden-kitchen relationship. I realized that I can’t manage the program all by myself, so at the end of last quarter, I decided to involve the students in the planning and budgeting. We are all happier because we all work together, which is how a kitchen is supposed to run.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My desire to help underserved, at-risk youth led me to Abraxas Continuation High School in Poway where I teach senior English and culinary arts to kids who need the most attention and care. Abraxas is a magical place for all who “live” here. It’s as if we belong to a big family instead of a small school. Yes, we learn. Yes, we have to follow rules. But, we also have fun and grow together. Because our students need the skills to succeed in life outside of school—especially after two years of quarantine—we decided that a culinary arts class would provide the students with an opportunity to gain interpersonal skills in a creative and soothing space. In 2021 a local family with a similar vision financed an outdoor Abraxas Garden Kitchen in our award-winning school garden. It’s a true farm-to-table program in which the kids use the produce from the garden to cook quick and healthy meals that they can make at home for themselves and families. This is only the third quarter that my course has been offered and there is already a waiting list to enroll! In my class, my kids are able to forget about life at home and unwind in the kitchen.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
My advice for novice culinary arts teachers is to plan ahead. First, visit schools with culinary arts classes and bounce some ideas off the teachers. Know in advance what to expect before you start. I didn’t do that. I just went for it and learned as I taught. I would not do that again if I started over. Determine how much money you think you will need ahead of time to start the program and then add another 25% to that amount so that you have savings in the bank to fall back on. Remember, you’ll need to raise enough money to pay for groceries, cleaning supplies, propane, kitchen utensils, equipment, etc. The reality is that a school farm-to-table program is not for profit and relies mostly upon donations and grants to keep them running. Host fundraisers a few times a year. Write as many grants as you can. There are so many companies and organizations out there who want to support school gardens and cooking programs. Once you’ve established your program, invite the media to visit your kitchen to gain publicity. Additionally, try to make industry connections for students who are interested in culinary-related careers. Invite guest chefs or speakers to visit your class so that the students learn about cooking techniques and recipes you may not be familiar with. Learn with the kids and from the kids. They will surprise you with what they can bring to the table. Most of all, expect to make a lot of mistakes and have fun learning from them!
Contact Info:
- Email: cmerritt@powayusd.com
- Website: http://abraxasgarden.com
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/abraxasgardenkitchen
- Other: https://www.powayusd.com/en-US/Schools/HS/AHS/Home
