Hospitality & Tourism

Hannah Teter

Pastry Chef in Training, Johnson & Wales University, Charlotte, NC

High School: American School ('05), Massanutten Technical Center

Career & Technical Ed. Program Studied: Culinary Arts

CTE Studies Yielded a Scholarship for this Aspiring Chef

“I always liked to cook,” recalls Hannah Teter, “so I knew I wanted to do something in the food industry.” With that clear direction in mind, she started studying Restaurant Careers at Massanutten Technical Center as a junior.

“They taught me a lot of basic stuff, “ says Hannah. “We took ServeSafe, so I didn’t have to take that in college.” [ServeSafe is a foodservice sanitation course; restaurants must have at least one ServeSafe-certified person on duty at all times, and Hannah was able to earn the certification at MTC.]

“I was in the FCCLA chapter, and competed in state competitions. I won silver at the state level the first year I tried, then won gold the next year…” (In culinary competitions, she explains, “you wouldn’t know what you’re preparing; they’d give you a menu, and you’d have a time limit to prepare an entrée, two sides, and a dessert; you’d be judged on things like taste and presentation by a panel of judges.”)

In addition to her competition achievements, Hannah also earned a scholarship to Johnson & Wales, a noted culinary college.

At college, reports Hannah, “we’re encountering a lot of new things; they expect a lot more. We have three terms a year: one term is academic, two terms are labs for six hours a day—but I like the fact that it’s not boring. I haven’t looked at a clock at all; six hours go by very quickly!”

Reflecting on her days at MTC, Hannah says “It was a good learning experience….The competitions were the biggest benefit; they were fun. And they got me the scholarship to go to college.”