Education

Education Cooking Up Careers

Student-run Avenue 27 turns culinary curiosity into award-winning restaurant experience at DVUSD.

One of the items on the menu at Avenue 27

In the kitchen at Avenue 27 The exterior of Avenue 27

By Shay Moser Photos Courtesy of the Deer Valley Unified School District

Chef and Culinary Instructor Ryan Mattheis is familiar with Barry Goldwater High School. He’s also familiar with restaurant work as a former sous chef, eatery assistant manager, catering company chef/partner, and resort catering cook.

He was a student at Barry Goldwater High School who returned with years of resort and restaurant experience to take charge of the high school’s culinary program. The chef thought he’d stay a year. Ten years later he’s guided the transformation of the kitchen and classroom space into a successful restaurant and supports several awardwinning students and notable graduates.

“One of my goals for this was to bring in the public to create an authentic experience for the students but also to make this a hub to bring the community together,” says Mattheis.

Founded in 2019, Avenue 27, which is located inside Barry Goldwater High School, at 2820 W. Rose Garden Lane in Phoenix, allows students to cook, serve and dine, and is also open to the public. The restaurant was remodeled by McCarthy Building Companies to create a welcoming storefront with windows, a canopy, accessibility from the exterior for the public, and an open concept, where diners can see into the kitchen and watch students prepare meals. The $1.5 million project was funded through CTED (Career and Technical Education) funds as part of the district’s membership in the West-MEC (Western Maricopa Education Center).

“The thing I enjoy most about the program is getting to collaborate with people and building relationships and getting to travel,” says culinary student Gracie Keaulii-Katayama, who won second place in Arizona and sixth place nationally in Culinary Arts at FCCLA (Family, Community, and Career Leaders of America). She is also the top 10 junior for C-Cap Arizona (Careers Through Culinary Arts Program of Arizona).

Bond dollars directly support student learning by purchasing the necessary equipment and materials needed in culinary arts, as well as supporting students like Keaulii-Katayama in FCCLA, C-Cap, and ProStart competitions. An award-winning graduate from the Barry Goldwater High School culinary arts program is Ember Crecelius Phelps. They won a $20,000 US Foods scholarship through C-Cap and more than $80,000 in other cash and academic scholarships in October. Crecelius Phelps is now attending Johnson and Wales University in Rhode Island majoring in Baking and Pastry.

“It’s hard to find good workers and help in the culinary field,” Mattheis says. “To see these students not only go out in the industry and flourish but also grow socially and professionally is huge.”

Former student Alxs Galit won first place in Arizona and 12th place nationally in Culinary Arts at FCCLA. He also earned his Certified Fundamentals Cook Certification through American Culinary Federation. Galit is currently completing his chef apprenticeship at Casino Arizona and attending Scottsdale Community College majoring in culinary arts.

“Without the culinary arts program at Barry Goldwater High School, I wouldn’t be where I am today,” says Galit.

Along with Keaulii-Katayama, Crecelius Phelps, and Galit, Jacob Peterson won first place in the Arizona ProStart Competition and placed 19th overall at the National ProStart Invitational in Washington, D.C., as a team. This earned these students over $20,000 in scholarships each.

Mattheis also proudly mentions notable graduates from his culinary arts program who are working in the Valley, including Leo Kuang, a Sous Chef at Renata’s Hearth in the Arizona Biltmore Resort; Jenna Kraus, assistant pastry chef at The Country Club at DC Ranch; Zane Gaffney, a traveling corporate trainer and team lead for Fox Restaurant Concepts; and Vicktor Velez, a sous chef at Elements at Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort & Spa.

Before the Barry Goldwater High School culinary arts program students move on to work in the Valley and beyond, you can taste the flavors of the 2023 Arizona winter season on the menu at Avenue 27. Dining for the public will be on Fri., Feb. 3 and 24, March 3 and 24, and April 14 and 21, from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. The cost is $25 per person.

For reservations, email Avenue27@ dvusd.org with the date, time, and size of your party to make a reservation.

Education

Voters Pass Prop 308 Allowing DACA Students to Receive In-State College Tuition

The Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) joins education leaders across the state in applauding Arizona voters for their support and passage of Proposition 308, providing instate tuition to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) students.

“Throughout the years, MCCCD has fought to provide Arizona’s most affordable tuition for high-quality associate’s degrees, bachelor’s degrees, and workforce training to all in-state students regardless of their immigration status,” says MCCCD Chancellor, Dr. Steven R. Gonzales. “The passage of Proposition 308 will allow thousands of Arizona DACA students to pursue their dream of obtaining a higher education, and we look forward to serving them.”

Proposition 308 ensures that any Arizonan, regardless of their immigration status, who has graduated from an Arizona high school and has lived in the state for two consecutive years, is granted in-state tuition at its colleges and universities. Each year, thousands of undocumented students graduate from Arizona high schools. Unable to access in-state tuition rates, many forgo their education aspirations due to the financial barrier. The passage of Proposition 308 will strengthen MCCCD’s growing dual enrollment pipeline, which has been vital in the recovery of the system after the initial impact brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I believe that Proposition 308 is not only an investment and commitment to our DACA students but to the future of Arizona’s workforce development. Arizona has a serious current labor shortage, Proposition 308 will aid in jumpstarting our labor market by providing much-needed skilled employees to the current job market,” says Gonzales.

Proposition 308 makes higher education more affordable and attainable for DACA students entering college for the first time or returning to college to learn new skills and re-enter the workforce. Developed with local industry partners and economic development leaders, Maricopa Community Colleges offers sixty individual Fast Track Certificates that prepare students for a new career in as little as a few weeks or six months. The highly-specific training certificates meet the needs of current and future Arizona businesses, whether it’s precision manufacturing, healthcare, or advancing IT professional skills.

Arizona now joins the growing list of states that grant in-state tuition to undocumented students.

Arizona Teachers Receive $1 Million Through Palo Verde Fiesta Bowl Charities Wishes for Teachers Draft Day

Wishes for Teachers’ seven-year total at $5.7 million following 2022 Draft Day.

Photos Courtesy of Fiesta Bowl Charities

Continuing the Fiesta Bowl Organization’s annual tradition of honoring, supporting and celebrating educators throughout Arizona, Fiesta Bowl Charities granted 400 teachers with $2,500 each through the Palo Verde Fiesta Bowl Charities Wishes for Teachers Draft Day presented by Salt River Project (SRP).

The wishes were spread throughout the state this year with 72 cities and towns represented amongst the 400 teachers selected. Nearly 212,000 students across 321 schools and 95 districts will be positively impacted by their teachers’ wishes with this year’s group combining for more than 5,300 years of experience in the classroom.

Recipients included those teaching the arts to science, both gifted and special education, and languages and life skills amongst a diverse group of subjects. The 400 wishes granted will benefit teachers who will aim to enrich the lives of their students through technology improvements, addition of educational programs, fitness equipment, and more.

LOCAL RECIPIENTS INCLUDED:

• Lydia MacKay, a speech therapist at

Sequoya Elementary in Scottsdale, will purchase iPads for their students. • Mary MacKay, an English language arts teacher at Sunrise Middle School in Scottsdale, will purchase tables for their classroom. • Christine Nobley, an English language arts teacher at Desert Shadows Middle

School, will provide new books for their classroom.

“Palo Verde Fiesta Bowl Charities Wishes for Teachers is one of the most impactful teacher support programs in Arizona donating $1 million dollars to benefit thousands of Arizona students. Adding to the excitement this year is the return of our in-person Palo Verde Fiesta Bowl Charities Wishes for Teachers Draft Day presented by SRP which further enhances the experience for our recipients,” says Fiesta Bowl Board Chair Randal Norton. “Teachers are truly selfless individuals who help shape the futures of our students here in Arizona and we are proud to play a part in supporting our teachers to do more in the classroom for the leaders of tomorrow.”

This year’s $1 million total donation brings the Wishes for Teachers’ sevenyear cumulative grant total to $5.7 million awarded to 1,600 teachers, impacting more than 700,000 students across Arizona.

Created in 2016, the Fiesta Bowl Wishes for Teachers program grants classroom wishes to Arizona teachers. Public and charter school K-12 teachers across the state are invited to apply each fall with the recipients verified and selected by a random drawing during the Palo Verde Fiesta Bowl Charities Wishes for Teachers Draft Day presented by (SRP).