High School Senior Excels in Culinary Arts

MOUNT VERNON – Sade Loague, a senior at Mount Vernon High School, is stirring things up in the kitchen through the Career Technical Education program. She is in her third year in Culinary Arts, which is one of the programs offered through CTE at the high school. Sade has worked in a kitchen and gained valuable hands-on experience catering school events.
Sade is learning how to create recipes and various cooking skills such as knife skills, safety, and basic cooking techniques. Sade was inspired to join the program after learning about career paths she can explore while still in high school.

“I didn’t know my school had programs like culinary, barbering, and cosmetology at all,” said Sade. “I thought it was a standard high school, just going to classes that are required. I didn’t know it had fun classes, so I would say that made my high school experience very memorable.”

Here, she has been able to learn skills that will be beneficial to her beyond the classroom, and has made memories that will last a lifetime.

“It’s really fun. It’s a three-year program, so I’ve been in it since 10th grade, which was my first year actually in the building. I like it a lot,” said Sade. “The thought of making and eating food while in school was very interesting.”

This program has not only given her life lessons and memories but has also helped her discover what she wants to do when she goes to college. Although Sade is not interested in working in the kitchen as a career, she is fascinated with being a food writer.

She has applied to various colleges as an English major, hoping to work for food publications as an editor after she graduates. Her current top choices are North Carolina Central University and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.

Currently, Sade is involved in the International Baccalaureate program, where she is taking English, humanities and math courses. She is also a part of the Smart Scholars Early College High School Program, where she is able to earn her associates degree from Mercy University.