HOULTON, Maine — It was just before noon on May 8, and the doors leading to the culinary arts program at the Region Two School of Applied Technology in Houlton swung open and closed, the smell of chicken and rice pilaf wafting into the hallway.
Inside the spacious classroom area, student Janine Moulton ran the cash register, smiling as she checked out customers who complimented her on “another delicious meal.”
As several of her fellow classmates cleaned up after dinner a short distance away, Duncan Bradshaw, an 18-year-old senior from Bangor, finished serving dessert and coffee to a small group of area residents who had enjoyed the meal.
It was the kind of education, action and diversity of experience and technique that Cathy Bither, senior instructor at the Region Two School of Applied Technology for the past 33 years, said that she enjoys.
“It is great to see all of the students in the classroom learning new skills in every area of the classroom,” she said during a recent interview. “There are so many new and exciting things going on in the culinary arts world now, and every student can get involved.”
Bither began her career teaching culinary arts in 1985, and in that time has helped transfer the Houlton classroom into a popular program that not only appeals to students, but also to the local community as well.
Last year, she was recognized for her work on both a regional and national level, receiving a lifetime achievement award from the Association of Career and Technical Educators.
She said that receiving news of the nomination was “shocking,” but it gave her a great opportunity to visit other schools and see the different ways in which they teach their students, and also the curriculums that they use.
“I got to visit an amazing New York culinary school, a high school, where they grew all of their own herbs in the classroom. Students are in the class from freshmen to seniors, and when they are high school seniors, they do internships in the [restaurant] industry.
She said that one of the instructors worked at Rikers Island, the prison in New York.
“I was really shocked to receive that,” she said. “It was such an honor, and it was such an amazing event. I loved seeing all of the cooking and marketing vendors and what is out there now in the culinary world.”
Bither said that seeing the vendors at the awards banquet in New York City gave her inspiration that she brought back to her students. As part of the program, students learn not only cooking, but business, marketing and safety at Region Two’s “Culinary Cafe.” There, students select the menu, prepare the food and serve the customers. Although they do not advertise and the building is tucked away on a dead end street, Bither said that they do a “pretty robust business.”
“The students just love it,” she said. “We change the menu each week and people keep coming back.”
All of her students become certified with a 10-hour OSHA card and ServeSafe server’s certification, as well as fire extinguisher training and basic First Aid/CPR/AED certification through the American Safety & Health Institute.
Students taking the class this semester complimented Bither for both her teacher skills and style.
Bradshaw, 18, of Bangor, said that his favorite part of the class was table service.
“I really like interacting with the public,” he said. “I have also enjoyed learning all of the certifications that we have, like ServeSafe and CPR and AED. Those skills really come in handy not only in a restaurant setting, but in everyday life.”
Michael Joslyn, 18, a senior from Monticello, said that he likes the class because everyone has a different task each week, thus allowing them to acquire new skills. He said that his favorite part of the experience was working in the store and interacting with the public.
“Plus, I just really love cooking,” he said.
