With each new school year comes improvements here at Highlands High School. These include new study methods, learning techniques, and upgraded practices, but also many different faces in the classroom.  

With these new individuals come improved ideas and experiences, stories, and lessons that educate students on how to be the best version of this HHS community; learning from others’ diverse mindsets and ideas.  

Kelsey Sentney, a brand new culinary and FACS teacher, is excited to share her knowledge with HHS students this year. 

She started her culinary interest way back in 2008 when she worked for her aunt’s catering company. 

“I’ve always loved food and had a knack for putting new flavors together, it’s always been exciting for me to discover new ingredients that work together.” 

In 2009 she started culinary school at Cincinnati State’s Midwest Culinary Institute, in hopes of being a food critic or culinary journalist. 

She said that many in her class had plans to become executive chefs and had higher management dreams. She thought she’d end up pursuing some other part of the culinary world given the vast majority of individuals with the same dream and the same higher goals that only had a limited amount of opportunities.  

After 10 years of working at restaurants and other various positions, she, after much consideration and dedication, became an executive chef. She adds that she owes an extra thanks, in part, to the wise and motivational words that her grandma provided, pushing her toward her goal. 

“Make plans and God laughs” are the words of her grandma. Meaning that often your initial goal might not always go to plan. But this detour in her goal was ironically the time that pointed her in the right direction; to teach. Even though she ended up on a different path, she kept with her culinary passion.  

She said that she hopes that her dedication to culinary art inspires her students to pursue their dreams and goals, no matter what those dreams may be. 

“Being able to give students the real inside scoop on what it’s like to work through this industry can help prepare them for future career opportunities,” she said.

But even though, often, her advice stays constant, the history and art of the cooking future’s ever-changing. 

“We touch a lot on culinary history in this class, how food trends are an always changing factor through the eras.” 

She said that with these evolving trends, her teachings will change vastly.

“There is much being discovered every year about dietary needs, preferences, and restrictions; which will only allow us more to expand our knowledge base.” 

Sentney added that fundamentals are important to her, she states, “They must be learned before moving on to bigger more extensive recipes.” 

During her interview for HHS, she was asked, “What recipe will you start your students on?” Her answer was quite plainly “No recipes…I want my students to know the basics, they need to know what to build upon in order to succeed in a more complex recipe.” 

And succeed they most certainly will, all together as a class. 

“My students and I will be teaching each other, a group effort, they can teach me things as well, that’s how I want my classroom.”