The Enid News and Eagle, Enid, OK

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  • Vinnie Cerezo and Charity Davis watch a monitor as she operates on a medical mannequin in the surgical technology classroom during an open house Sunday at Autry Technology Center. (Staff Photo by BILLY HEFTON)

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February 20, 2011

Chefs, career advice shown at Autry Tech's open house

By Robert Barron, Staff Writer Enid News and Eagle

ENID — The benefits and opportunities of career tech were on display Sunday afternoon at the annual open house for Autry Technology Center, 1201 W. Willow.

About 700 had attended by mid-afternoon, said Melissa Baker, Autry Tech marketing director.

Informational displays included career development, learning how to apply for federal college financing and an “Iron Chef”-style cook-off in the culinary arts department.

Also featured was the Oklahoma Career Information System, a computer-operated study that asks individuals questions about themselves, then shows a number of careers that would fit their personalities.

“It also gives some reality checks about how much real life will cost you to maintain your lifestyle,” said Student Services Director Karen Martin. “That’s pretty eye-opening.”

Students age 8 and older can take the test to get an idea what they want to be. The test collects an inventory of whatever the student is interested in and searches colleges and career tech schools nationwide.

“It’s an interesting inventory and it only takes 15 minutes to find the career area,” Martin said.

The program also can be used for people wanting to change careers and provides a salary outlook and the future of the job. Martin said more people in their 50s and 60s are looking for a career change.

Melody Hunter, a culinary arts instructor, challenged some of her students to perform in an “Iron Chef”-inspired competition. They received a recipe shortly before the competition began at 2:30 p.m. and had one hour to prepare the meal — chicken and pasta, according to the recipe. The two-person teams were allowed to be creative with the recipe, as long as they do not deviate too far from the original.

The competition is designed to show the teams’ skills. Hunter called it typical restaurant activity.

“You come in every morning and they tell you what you are doing that day and give you the recipe and you have to prepare the ingredients and follow the recipe,” she said.

Each day the class comes in to prepare the lunch for Autry Tech students, as well as perform in-house catering. The classes give the students the foundation for a culinary career, including safety, nutrition, menu creation and recipe conversions, among other things. Hunter said graduates of the class will be ahead of most of the cooks in Oklahoma, but they also can go to Northern Oklahoma College to earn college credit and attend Oklahoma State University-Okmulgee to continue their education.

Students interested in attending college could attend Autry Tech’s panel for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Dana Wood, a financial aid officer at the school, said the information will help students find Pell grants and other types of college aid.

Wood said many factors are involved. Criteria usually are based on need, and the previous year’s tax return is used to help determine whether the student qualifies. It also wants to know how many other students from your family are attending college at the same time.

“It’s such a great opportunity,” Wood said. “If you can get a grant, then you don’t have to get a loan.”

Although the federal standards are based on loans, individual schools have rules about grade average and SAT scores, so those also will be considered, she said.

Wood said she has 140 students this year, and that number increases every year.

“It is available to anyone,” she said.

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