Culinary High School Grooms Grads for Restaurant Life

By Joanna Prisco

As classes wind down for the year, many high school seniors are preparing to set out into the world to find their passions.

But for the 80 students who graduated from Food & Finance High School in New York City on Wednesday, the answer is already clear: They want to work in the culinary world.

In addition to preparing scholars with traditional courses like math and English, the Food & Finance High School, located in NYC’s neighborhood of Hell’s Kitchen, trains young men and women proper knife skills, how bake with precision, and how to keep cool in a fast-paced restaurant.

“It’s about making this become a rounded skill,“ culinary arts teacher chef Geoffrey Tulloch told CBS News. “You have to learn how to function in an environment that is crazy and still keep a level head.”

Roughly 80 percent of students who attend the school are considered economically disadvantaged, according to data provided by the school. But their coursework and internships have enabled them to spread their wings and seek out their dreams.

Graduates have gone on to win full scholarships at the Culinary Institute of America, appear on Food Network’s reality cooking competition Chopped, and work in some of New York City’s most illustrious restaurants, owned by celebrity chefs such as Marc Murphy.

For the complete story, click the video above and don’t be surprised if this week’s graduates end up being tomorrow’s stars of the food world.