Desert View senior serves up a delicious career

When we were children, many of us wanted to be actors, teachers, astronauts, firefighters or doctors. Megan Clark, a senior at Desert View High School, wanted to be the next host of “The Frugal Gourmet.”

Clark is a member of ProStart. ProStart is a school-to-career program giving high school students an introduction into the hospitality industry through class and hands-on experience. Students take the course as juniors and seniors as an elective. During the course, students study, take tests, and do labs to prepare them for their final exams.

As a part of the program, the students must complete a 400-hour paid internship, as well as a student competency checklist. Amazingly, Clark was able to accomplish this in just one year by working as a prep cook at the Doubletree Hotel.

“We got the (text) books last year and I decided this was something I really needed to do,” she said.

At press time, Clark was waiting to take the test to complete the program. Upon passing, she will receive certification from the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation.

On top of this amazing accomplishment, Clark maintains an active extracurricular schedule. “A lot of the volunteering I’ve done is for church, It’s so much help to a lot of people,” Clark said, thoughtfully. “It makes you feel good to see people smile.”

This achiever has been a member of APEX for three years, this year she is treasurer. Clark also serves as president of Family Career and Community Leaders of America. She has volunteered for the AIDS Walk, the Love of Reading and Graffiti Abatement programs and for the Primavera Foundation.

Clark intends to continue her edu-ation at NAU’s College of Hotel and Restaurant Management.

Like many aspiring chefs, Clark would “really like to work abroad and go to a cooking school in Paris.”

Diana Wamsley is a senior at University High School.