By Andie Chilson
Chef Michele Brown is the head of the Culinary Arts Program at Texas State Technical College where she has worked since September 2018. Chef Brown is a member of the Epicurean World Master Chefs Society, Les Dames d’Escoffier and the Texas Chefs Association. She has also competed in the IKA Culinary Olympics.
Andie Chilson: Give me a general overview of the TSTC Culinary Arts Program – what can prospective students expect?
Michele Brown: It’s only five semesters for a degree, which is fantastic. And it’s a real degree – not just, you know, a paper or a certificate or something like that. It translates to all colleges, which is fantastic if a student wants to go and get their bachelor’s. When a lot of our students come to the program they don’t realize that you can get your bachelor’s in food science or accounting management. There are other ways rather than just going in to the kitchen. And what we try to do is train them to become managers and owners. That’s our goal. We’re trying to give our students the background and the credentials that they need to have.
I just got back from Germany where I competed in the culinary Olympics and came home with a silver. And it was really fun to have the students come in and see what we were doing. You know, see the huge amount of work that goes in to all the practices and washing your dishes and, you know, the lack of glamor. And it’s also a kind of international networking. So if a student comes to me and says, ‘I really want to travel,’ well, I have about four people in four different countries that I can call and say, hey, I’ve got a student who may want to come in and work with you, and try to make that happen.
AC: So, what kinds of students does the program attract? What is the typical demographic?
MB:I have students who have been looking at the school since eighth grade. They graduated from high school and came in. And I have students who are in retirement and doing it for fun. I have some business owners or chefs that need to get their credentials. In the past I’ve had research chefs that needed to get their credentials, their culinary degree or certificate so that they could move forward in their jobs. So, I get everybody. And in Waco, we’re the only facility within the TSTC family that has housing. So younger kids all over Texas could come and get a culinary degree for a fraction of the cost of what it would be to go to a private school.
AC: So as far as the dining room goes, is it open to the public? Can anyone come and try your students’ creations?
MB:Absolutely. Every Wednesday and Friday about four weeks into each semester, we open up the restaurants. It runs for about eleven weeks and it’s Wednesday and Fridays. And the cool thing about it is that in the second semester, students are thrown out into the dining room to be servers. So, they learn to respect the front of the house, understanding the soft skills of dealing with clients and trying to understand how the front of the house works so that they can be a little more empathetic. Or they may say, ‘Hey, wait a minute, what am I doing in the kitchen? I would rather be out here dealing with people.’ It gives you the opportunity to figure out where you want to be.
The students that are cooking the food are doing their capstone. And not only do they cook the food, but they decide the menus. They research the food, they get out and train each other. So, they are basically the chefs. You don’t see that at many other schools.
AC: And how expensive are the dining events?
MB: Between $25-$60. And anything that we do for the public, all of that money that we make goes right back into the program. We are not funded 100% by the state, so we need to bring in funding to purchase beautiful cuts of meat and fabulous chocolate and things that students wouldn’t be exposed to at a different school. We’re really trying to bring in some great stuff and have the students handle the protein multiple times,and that’s something that people don’t really think about. We also encourage our students to work during their classes, so we have all kinds of jobs posted at all times.
AC: Well this sounds like a great opportunity for students looking for a career in the culinary world as well as Wacoans looking for a terrific meal!
Example Menu
Argentina by Anahi Guerrero
STARTERS
Chipas
Baked cheese-flavored rolls with cilantro butter
Complimentary Argentinian-Style Soup with pumpkin puree, pork steak bits, diced onion, butter beans and sliced spring onions – $2.25 cup, $2.75 bowl
Heart of Palms Salad with sliced shallots, Roma tomatoes, radishes, diced avocado, chopped cilantro, capers and Heart of Palms with a sherry habanero vinaigrette – $2.25
MAINS
Roasted Argentine Frenched Chicken Breast Salad with roasted French chicken breast, chilled green beans, carrots, marinated mushrooms, diced tomatoes, roasted baby potatoes and spicy garlic salsa – $7.15
Choripan – Grilled turkey chorizo in a hoagie bread topped with a parsley aioli and a tomato-onion relish, a side of baked parmesan fries and house-made spicy pickles – $7.15
Fish Baked in a Banana Leaf – Banana-steamed cod fillets with roasted tomato sauce, coconut lime rice, grilled yellow squash, fruit salsa and julienned fried onions – $8.25
Argentinian Grilled Chimichurri Steak – Grilled beef steak with a roasted sweet potato puree, marinated mini bell peppers, pickled cherry tomatoes, au gratin cauliflower and a red chimichurri sauce – $8.25
DESSERT
Pionono – A sheet cake filled with an infused strawberry-Malbec whipped cream with sliced strawberries, candied mint leaf, chocolate pistachio shard, dulce de leche drizzle and whipped cream – $2.95
BEVERAGES
Soft drinks, regular iced tea and flavored tea of the week – $1.25
Pineapple Juice – $2.25
The dining room is located at 109 8th Street, Waco, TX at the corner of 8th and Campus Drive on TSTC Campus.
Lunch is served from 11 AM – 12:15 PM. $10-12. For reservations call 254-867-4868
Gourmet to Go and Tours are available 8 AM – 5 PM. $5-8.
For more information about the TSTC Culinary Arts Program, visit their website at https://www.tstc.edu/programs/CulinaryArts.
TSTC is a part of SkillsUSA and is a SkillsUSA international training site.
Andie Chilson is a senior at Baylor University studying journalism and creative writing. She is originally from Houston, but Waco has quickly come to feel like a second home to her. Andie enjoys writing and digital content creation as a way to express her creativity and help people spread their message. In her free time, you can find her reading anything by Brené Brown, doing yoga or exploring downtown Waco. Andie is so excited to be working as part of the Act Locally Waco team this semester!
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.
March is National Reading Month, a whole month designated to encouraging Americans – and by extension Wacoans – to read! The Act Locally Waco blog is beating the drum for National Reading Month by hosting a blog series throughout the month of March, called “Books Matter.” Every day throughout March we will be sharing a post about a Waco resident and a book that matters to him/her. Thank you to students from the Baylor Department of Journalism, Public Relations and New Media and professor Amber Adamson for help with this fun project. To read all the blog posts so far, click here.
By: Alexis Scott
Modern times have fostered an environment that puts technology at an all-time high. Smartphones, tablets and laptops hold power over kids, teens and adults more and more each day. Snapchat, Instagram and other apps like Twitter have infiltrated the daily lives of people across the globe. With the attention now on screens, activities that maintain essential value, like reading, have been forgotten.
Many people still believe in the power of the written word; one of those people is Waco Mayor Kyle Deaver. Deaver said he thinks reading is an essential part of character development.
“I think it opens your mind to new ideas, in ways that no other medium can,” Deaver said.
Mayor Deaver appreciates the stories that hold true meaning, especially redemption stories. Laura Hillenbrand’s 2010 book Unbroken exemplifies what reading really means to him.
“I just think it’s such an amazing story of the human spirit,” Mayor Deaver said. “I just think that this is the kind of story that young people should be reading, that they should know.”
Reading is not something to be left in the past. It is essential not only for entertainment but allows people to open their minds to stories with meaning and lessons to learn in ways that technology and social media cannot.
“Those things are great, but you get to dive deeply into ideas, I think that’s the main difference,” Deaver said.
Put down the screen and pick up a book and open your mind to new ideas.
Press release –
Prosper Waco is pleased to announce the hiring of Tiffiney Gray as senior content specialist for health. In this position, Gray will develop, coordinate and implement projects and initiatives that advance benchmark indicators in health for Prosper Waco. Gray will advance the work of collective impact by strengthening community relationships, networks and partners in the Waco area. In addition, she will be implementing a Collaborative Approach to Public Goods Investment project by researching and designing an effective intervention based on research showing the impact of addressing social determinants to change health outcomes.
“Tiffiney Gray brings experience and leadership to advance health goals for our community,” said Prosper Waco CEO Suzii Paynter March. “Tiffiney will put her experience in medical research and community engagement to use with a national research team studying Waco and 14 other cities for behavioral health practices.”
Gray has formerly worked as a research and development officer at Jackson State University, where she designed and secured funding for programs supporting early childhood education, minority student retention and campus wellness. She was previously director of The Salvation Army Corps Community Center in Jackson, Mississippi, a resource for children and families providing after-school enrichment and cultural programming. Recently, Gray managed multiple community engaged research (CEnR) projects at the Medical College of Wisconsin to include Community Health Improvement for Milwaukee’s Children (CHIMC), Earlier is Better (EIB), and Milwaukee Prevention of Opioid Misuse through Peer Training (Milwaukee PROMPT) with funding support from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Foundation, Pfizer Foundation, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. At MCW, Gray also supported graduate student and medical resident learning as coordinator for the Community Pediatrics Training Initiative (CPTI) and the Community Health Improvement III Course in the Department of Family and Community Medicine. Gray completed her master’s degree in sociology at the University of Mississippi and has a longstanding passion for social justice and advancing health equity.
Prosper Waco is a collective impact initiative focused on addressing issues facing the Greater Waco community in education, health and financial security. As a facilitator and convener, Prosper Waco encourages collaboration among nonprofits, city and county governments, businesses, foundations and churches. The goal is to build on and increase the effectiveness of current efforts
and to develop new strategies to bring about measurable and sustainable positive change within the focus areas. For more information, please contact [email protected]
March is National Reading Month, a whole month designated to encouraging Americans – and by extension Wacoans – to read! The Act Locally Waco blog is beating the drum for National Reading Month by hosting a blog series throughout the month of March, called “Books Matter.” Every day throughout March we will be sharing a post about a Waco resident and a book that matters to him/her. Thank you to students from the Baylor Department of Journalism, Public Relations and New Media and professor Amber Adamson for help with this fun project. To read all the blog posts so far, click here.
By Haylee Bernard
Kelly Filgo, lead director of specialized projects at the Texas State Technical College, said his favorite book gave him, “words to put on what I already felt, believed.”
Filgo educates students while they train for aviation careers. Filgo’s favorite book is The World Beyond Your Head: On Becoming an Individual in an Age of Distractions by Matthew Crawford.
Filgo said the book “is a look through the lens of classical philosophy but applied to modern Western culture. About how as a culture, we are not very good at giving sustained attention to what we do and what that means for us.”
The book is about how people do not have the opportunity to give themselves honest self-evaluations, and this prevents people from being resilient and dedicating time and attention to one thing.
“We lack the constructive criticism. People say it is the youth and their cellphones. However, Crawford dispels that immediately and says that culturally, we reject prior knowledge and challenge things, but what we mistakenly did was equate individuality with self-sufficiency. What we tend to do in that case is create a warped self-image,” Filgo said.
Filgo said an important lesson in the book is that hobbies lead to good practices, because they provide us with an opportunity to focus on one task and provide us with obvious feedback. Filgo engages in the art of 3D printing as one of his hobbies, because he said it allows him to perfect his craft through learning from his mistakes.
Filgo said the most valuable takeaway of this book is, “learning how to stay focused long enough to know when you are getting it and to know when you are not and to be honest with yourself enough and say that it was not good enough.”
March is National Reading Month, a whole month designated to encouraging Americans – and by extension Wacoans – to read! The Act Locally Waco blog is beating the drum for National Reading Month by hosting a blog series throughout the month of March, called “Books Matter.” Every day throughout March we will be sharing a post about a Waco resident and a book that matters to him/her. Thank you to students from the Baylor Department of Journalism, Public Relations and New Media and professor Amber Adamson for help with this fun project. To read all the blog posts so far, click here.
By Kaitlyn McMillan
Books are an essential part of life. Whether it’s a book from your childhood or one that was recently released, we all have one that matters and connects us to a special time in our lives. For Waco Councilman John Kinnaird, The Poky Little Puppy, is one that happened to pave the way for the rest of his life.
“This book sort of laid the groundwork for a lifelong interest in reading and learning,” Kinnaird said.
Many of us recall books from our childhood specifically for the story, either a fairytale or one that taught us a lesson, but for Kinnaird, his is different.
“It’s a classic,” he said. “I wouldn’t really recommend it for the story or the subject matter, or even a lesson that might be able to be learned from it because you kind of have to squint your eyes for it.”
Kinnaird said he believes that with any book regardless of the message, reading with your kids is an important thing to engage in, especially now in our growing world of technology.
“I would encourage people to read this with their kids or with their loved ones just because doing something together like that is kind of what we’re built for,” Kinnaird said. “Sitting in my mom’s lap reading this for all of those hours meant so much to me and still means so much to me now, because it’s that time and love that sets us up for success down the road. Sitting with your kid and doing this is a lot better than playing on your phone.”
National Reading Month is an important time for everyone as we try to encourage people to put down their smartphones, pick up a book and connect with their loved ones. For Kinnaird, the memories cultivated with his mother were all made possible due to the first book he ever picked up, and one that he will never forget.
March is National Reading Month, a whole month designated to encouraging Americans – and by extension Wacoans – to read! The Act Locally Waco blog is beating the drum for National Reading Month by hosting a blog series throughout the month of March, called “Books Matter.” Every day throughout March we will be sharing a post about a Waco resident and a book that matters to him/her. Thank you to students from the Baylor Department of Journalism, Public Relations and New Media and professor Amber Adamson for help with this fun project. To read all the blog posts so far, click here.
By Amy Rickabaugh
Many people may take literacy for granted, but for Waco Councilwomen Andrea Barefield, reading is the only foundation for growth as a community.
The Collected Poetry of Nikki Giovanni is a book that means a lot to Barefield, as it has been with her since she was in middle school.
“I have been able to find myself in the multiple stages of my life within the pages of this book,” Barefield said.
The sections of this book dedicated to strength and empowerment, especially of African Americans, are some of Barefield’s favorites.
Barefield points out a particular poem in the book called “Ego-Tripping” and says that “if when you read that poem you don’t believe in yourself, forget about it. There is not an opportunity for people to tell you that you are anything but fabulous.”
This is something that Barefield said she needed to hear when she was a young, impressionable, middle school girl.
During these younger years, Barefield experienced the importance of getting her questions answered and following her curiosity about what she was seeing in the world she was growing up in.
“Escaping in literature is one way we can go to the other side of whatever our curiosities are,” Barefield said.
She encourages readers that the pages of a book aren’t judgmental, and they allow questions without blaming the reader for ignorance.
“Reading authors that write about cultures that you are unfamiliar with is the way to really have your questions answered without having to deal with the grey matter of people,” Barefield said.
Barefield was raised by educators, who were raised by educators, so reading has been fundamental for her throughout her life. She says she knows that humans cannot do anything without a foundation. Barefield believes that the foundation of reading is the development for growth.
“Literacy and the importance of stimulating your mind is the only way foundationally we can grow and do anything else,” Barefield said.
March is National Reading Month, a whole month designated to encouraging Americans – and by extension Wacoans – to read! The Act Locally Waco blog is beating the drum for National Reading Month by hosting a blog series throughout the month of March, called “Books Matter.” Every day throughout March we will be sharing a post about a Waco resident and a book that matters to him/her. Thank you to students from the Baylor Department of Journalism, Public Relations and New Media and professor Amber Adamson for help with this fun project. To read all the blog posts so far, click here.
By Sadie Hopkins
Ashley Toscano, who was named Teacher of the Year in the Waco Independent School District, teaches the spectrum of subjects to 22 multicultural third grade students at Hilcrest PDS elementary.
“As a teacher I’m constantly telling my students to read for fun at home,” Toscano said. “I think it’s important that they have a model for that though. So, I try to be the example by going home and reading at least something every night.”
She said she was impacted by many books in college, but her favorite would have to be The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. She explains how it focuses on a young German orphan during World War II who was adopted into a radical family who hides a Jewish teenager. Toscano said one of her favorite themes in the book was that the little orphan girl steals books because she loves words and thinks they’re magical.
“Interestingly the book is in the point of view of death. Death is almost a narrator in the book, watching it all take place,” Toscano said. “Because of everything that is happening in the concentration camps, he sees how terrible human beings are to each other. But he is choosing to focus on this child who is different from everyone else.”
She emphasized how The Book Thief isn’t a happy go lucky story, but that it carries a much more meaningful lesson than most.
“One of the key themes would be the sanctity of life. The way someone lives and the way someone dies says a lot about them,” Toscano said. “I learned it’s really important to not take our lives for granted, because we are blessed with freedoms that years ago not everyone had.”
Toscano said she tries to read a picture book a day to her students to show the importance of reading for fun.
“I just try to really keep a culture of reading in my classroom,” Toscano said. “Every day our lessons focus on using real literature.”
Press Release – The Waco-McLennan County Public Health District, Ascension Providence, Baylor Scott & White, and the Family Health Center have formed the McLennan County Leadership Response Team to work and plan together on a local response to reports on the COVID-19 outbreak in the country. Meeting weekly as a group, we are actively monitoring patients for risk factors and working to ensure our local health care system is prepared to respond to the situation as it unfolds.
There has been a lot of information in the news about COVID-19. If you are healthy, your risk is relatively low and recovery is high. The good news is that the same steps you can take to stay healthy during the flu season will protect you from many viruses, including the flu and COVID-19. The Response Team has prepared a list of important facts to help people understand the current situation. This is a rapidly evolving situation and the Response Team will provide updated information as it becomes available.
Risk
- There are NO diagnosed COVID-19 cases in McLennan County.
- At this time, if you have not traveled to an effected area or have not had contact with someone with COVID-19, your risk is low. Any respiratory symptoms you might have are more likely to be flu or another respiratory illness.
- Most cases of COVID-19 are not severe. People with a greater risk of developing serious symptoms are Older adults; People with chronic conditions; and People with compromised immune systems.
Symptoms
- Fever
- Cough
- Difficulty Breathing
Facemasks
- Facemasks are NOT recommended for people who are well. The use of facemasks are crucial for health care workers and other people who are taking care of someone infected with COVID-19 in close settings (at home or in a health care facility).
- You should only wear a facemask if a healthcare professional recommends it.
Protection
There is currently no vaccine to prevent COVID-19 infection. The best way to prevent infection is to avoid being exposed to this virus. The Waco-McLennan County Public Health District (PHD) encourages everyone to follow preventive actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory viruses, including:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with 60%-95% alcohol.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in a lined trash can.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces with regular household products.
Isolation and Quarantine
- Your healthcare provider or the Public Health District may ask you to stay at home in order to slow the spread of the virus. Please follow the instructions given to you.
Questions
People with questions can call the Public Health Information line at 254-750-1890 which is available Monday through Friday from 8am – 5pm.
Information
This is an rapidly evolving situation and Public Health District will provide updated information as it becomes available. The most trustworthy sources for information are:
- Waco-McLennan County Public Health District;
- Texas Department of State Health Services;
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and
- World Health Organization.
March is National Reading Month, a whole month designated to encouraging Americans – and by extension Wacoans – to read! The Act Locally Waco blog is beating the drum for National Reading Month by hosting a blog series throughout the month of March, called “Books Matter.” Every day throughout March we will be sharing a post about a Waco resident and a book that matters to him/her. Thank you to students from the Baylor Department of Journalism, Public Relations and New Media and professor Amber Adamson for help with this fun project. To read all the blog posts so far, click here.
By Mariah Bennett
“Our greatness is our diversity. The best thing about life is diversity,” Alfred Solano said.
Alfred Solano is the president and CEO of the Cen-Tex Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (CTHCC). According to Solano, the CTHCC is about leadership and Latinx representation in the community.
Solano was first introduced to activism and representation work by his father, a Chicano activist in the Alliance of Mexican Americans in Waco. He truly understood representation’s importance at 11 years old when he found a book in his father’s massive literature collection, “I am Joaquin, Yo Soy Joaquin,” an epic poem by Rodolfo Gonzales.
In the poem the narrator Joaquin describes his struggles as a Mexican American born to Mexican born parents. What makes the poem special, besides its connection to the Chicano movement, is its structure. The poem is split in two columns on every page. On one column there is poetry written in Spanish and the other column there is an English translation. To a young Solano, “I am Joaquin, Yo Soy Joaquin,” made him feel recognized, he said.
Solano, like many Mexican Americans, was not taught Spanish growing up. With the book, Solano could learn the language thanks to the structure.
“I remember thinking at the time…that’s really cool I can go from one [column] to another and learn,” Solano said.
Solano said he was also able to learn from “I Am Joaquin, Yo Soy Joaquin” about how the Aztecs invented the concept of zero. Growing up, Solano had a love for math and said he felt connected to the Aztecs because of this.
“I’m part of this group that invented the concept of zeros … It really gave me a sense of power,” Solano said.
“I am Joaquin, Yo Soy Joaquin” is a piece of literature that mattered to Solano as a child and still matters. The poem made Solano feel recognized as a Mexican American, which is the type of work Solano does today for the Latinx community. The CTHCC helps those in the community be recognized, represented and come into positions of leadership. “I am Joaquin, Yo Soy Joaquin” has shaped movements, cities and individual worlds like the ones of Alfred Solano.
March is National Reading Month, a whole month designated to encouraging Americans – and by extension Wacoans – to read! The Act Locally Waco blog is beating the drum for National Reading Month by hosting a blog series throughout the month of March, called “Books Matter.” Every day throughout March we will be sharing a post about a Waco resident and a book that matters to him/her. Thank you to students from the Baylor Department of Journalism, Public Relations and New Media and professor Amber Adamson for help with this fun project. To read all the blog posts so far, click here.
By Megan Messer
For some people, reading books is a way to escape reality. For others, it’s a way of life. Amy Sassatelli, library assistant for Waco-McLennan County Library, reads about 100 books each year. Her favorite is a nonfiction book called The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg.
“It’s one of my main books. When people want recommendations I recommend this one. It’s one most people come back to me and say, ‘That was such a good book,’” Sassatelli said. “I like it because it’s more than it sounds. It sounds like the power of habits and you would think it would be just that, but it’s about so much more than just habits.”
Sassatelli said Duhigg’s book, which made the New York Times bestseller list in 2012, helps readers understand how their habits affect their work life and personal life.
“Humans are weird and complex creatures, and this book explains how we tend to make things more complicated in our minds than they really need to be,” Sassatelli said. “For example, making our beds. If you don’t do anything else, make your bed when you get out of it in the morning, and incrementally all of the little everyday things will sprout from there.”
The book touches on a variety of tasks people do in everyday life, and how different habits form out of the smaller things people do every day, even if they aren’t thinking about it.
“It kind of explains why your brain does certain things and why it makes those connections. It makes one tiny thing affect your life in so many different ways,” Sassatelli said. “So, learning small changes that you can make to make your life better, why would you not do that?”
Even though she said she does not normally re-read books, Sassatelli has returned to The Power of Habit many times to give advice to her husband, sister-in-law and colleagues at work.
“I read a lot, so I definitely put thought into this book as one of my favorites,” Sassatelli said. “I think the good thing about this book is it makes you think that even if you better yourself in a small way, your brain still expects a reward of some type. If you read this book, you’ll pick up on things like that that will really surprise you.”