Mrs. Davis teaches the ProStart (advanced cooking elective) class at West High, where she instructs a group of students that have catered for governors, senators, and more. Enjoy this long-overdue interview with Mrs. Davis, Eva Zamora, and Sofia Carias Sos:

Havalah: What inspired you to teach this class?

Mrs. Davis: I love to cook and I like to share my passion with others.

Havalah: What is your favorite event that you’ve done?

Mrs. Davis: We catered for Governor Hatch’s farewell because there were A LOT of very important people.

Havalah: What are some events that you’ve done?

Mrs. Davis: We’ve catered for the governor, presidential candidates, big brothers, and big sisters, galas, Senator Hatch, [and] we cater up at the Capitol all the time. It’s really fun.

Havalah: What is the biggest event that you’ve done?

Mrs. Davis: We catered an event with Governor Herbert and Senator Hatch.

Havalah: What is your favorite part of this class?

Mrs. Davis: The students. If I get to the point where I don’t like the kids… I’ll have to quit my job, but I love working with kids.

Havalah: Why do you think this class is important?

Mrs. Davis: Because I think these kids need to learn the skill! As well, if they graduate with a pro start, they get a job really easily. I get calls all the time to hire kids. For example, Grand America called me (they pay 20 per hour) willing to hire my ProStart kids.

Havalah: What electives do you need to take prior to taking this class?

Mrs. Davis: You are supposed to take foods 1 and foods 2, but you can just sign up for ProStart if you want to. You can be in ProStart for 2 years, or three if you want to.

Havalah: What raised your interest in cooking?

Mrs. Davis: My Grandma instilled a love of cooking in me.

Havalah: Is there anything else you want readers to know?

Mrs. Davis: Sign up for foods classes one and two, and sign up for ProStart. It’s really fun and you’ll make delicious things.

Havalah: So what is ProStart?

Mrs. Davis: ProStart is an advanced-level cooking class. ProStart is a nationwide, two-year high school program that reaches approximately 130,000 students in more than 1,700 high schools across 50 states, Guam, and the District of Columbia.  From culinary techniques to management skills, ProStart’s industry-driven curriculum provides real-life experience opportunities and builds practical skills and a foundation that will last a lifetime.

Now onto the next interviews! I interviewed Eva Zamora, and Sofia Carias Sosa, students in the ProStart elective.

Havalah: Why did you choose this elective?

Eva Zamora: She [Mrs. Davis] convinced us to. She told us we’d cater to a lot of places, including the Capitol.

Sofia Carias Sosa: It looked fun to cook, and I was also convinced.

Havalah: What is your favorite experience from this elective?

Eva Zamora: You don’t do normal class things, and it’s very fun, and you interact with your classmates each day. 

Sofia Carias Sosa: It’s really fun to learn to cook at the same time.

Havalah: Do you feel different after doing one of these events?

Eva Zamora: It is very fun and rewarding, but also very exhausting.

Sofia Carias Sosa: It’s like doing something with school, which you don’t do very often.

Havalah: How would you describe this elective?

Eva Zamora, Sofia Carias Sos: Very fun, and very stressful.

Havalah: What grades can do ProStart?

Eva Zamora: Any grade can do ProStart, but only 9th and up can compete on the ProStaT competitive team [competitive cooking].

Havalah: Is there anything else you want readers to know?

Eva Zamora: Mrs. Davis is the best teacher ever.

Sofia Carias Sosa: She’s a fun teacher and makes cooking really enjoyable.

ProStart is a great elective, Mrs. Davis is a great teacher, and so is her class. This elective has catered for the likes of governors and VIPs, and its only requirement is signing up! Her students have catered for some amazing events and have great job opportunities.