BCPS students complete new culinary internship in high school cafeterias

Morganton, NC – Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025

Three Burke County Public Schools students will soon be the first graduates of the Navigate Internship Program in the district. The culinary internship, a partnership with Chartwells K12 and Navigate, gives students interested in food service and hospitality real-world experience by working in BCPS cafeterias preparing meals, serving lunch and learning about inventory in K-12 kitchens.

Vanessa M., a junior at Draughn High School, started each morning at 6 a.m. in the cafeteria. She helped prepare breakfast by arranging biscuits on a tray, assembling parfaits and more, all before the first bell. Vanessa said she has utilized what she has learned in Foods II classes in the cafeteria during the internship.

Two culinary interns were at Patton High School, and they helped with daily tasks in the cafeteria during their shifts. Alex D. is an aspiring chef who worked from 6 to 8 a.m. in the cafeteria, prepping breakfast and lunch each day before class. Alex said, “My favorite part would be the different things I am learning, like right now, I’m putting together meals. I'm learning how to chop vegetables and prep meals.” Alex also ran the register at Claws Cafe, Patton’s coffee shop.

During the lunch rush at PHS, Elan D. worked the serving lines, restocking items and helping where needed in the kitchen. He said he loved the opportunity to meet all the students and work with the cafeteria team.

Dawn Phillips, cafeteria manager at PHS, was grateful for the extra help in the kitchen. “It’s been a very exciting experience. I love hearing what their future plans are, where they’re finding their path and their ideas they have to make our kitchens better. They work well with my staff, and they’ve been a real benefit.”

During the 12-week paid internship, students worked at least 10 hours a week in their school cafeteria while also having the opportunity to earn internship credits through the BCPS Career and Technical Education program. Interns received one-on-one training with Navigate’s Chef Odalys Garcia learning the foundations of knife skills, kitchen safety and standardized recipes. The cohort also took a field trip to Charlotte to tour Compass Group headquarters and other food service industries to see future career opportunities in the area. Next semester, the internship will expand to accept up to 10 juniors and seniors interested in food service.