Lucie Tremblay at PACC

A few weeks ago I had the great pleasure of being a student for a day in the Cooking program at PACC in Montreal. Nancy Gagnon welcomed me on an early Monday morning. She gave me all I needed to be a chef for a day, introduced me to her team, and finally, gave me a tour of the kitchens. Nancy introduced me to her morning lessons, Risotto and Antipasti were on the menu. As the students entered the kitchen, Italian music reminded them of the theme for this competency.

I was observing the students getting ready for their day. Even though we were on a Monday morning, everyone seemed pleased to find their classmates. I had the impression that everyone felt they were in the right place as if they all belonged in the group. As I was watching everyone getting his workspace ready I was impressed by the routine that Chef Nancy has established. In a flick of an eye, a risotto demo was made. The students then went to their stations to cook their version of risotto. After being tasted by Chef Nancy, almost everyone’s risotto was on its way to the boutique. 

During lunch, a former student passed by to share some news and left a special snack for Chef Nancy. She decided to share her present with all of the students to celebrate the birthday of a student and coffee was made. Then, everyone went back to their stations to prepare the Antipasti. A spirit of collaboration was palpable, teamwork was encouraged and it felt it was natural for everyone. 

Throughout the day, when I had the chance, I got to have some discussions with students. Some shared their personal experiences, their learning challenges, their migration history, and their personal life challenges in going back to school. To me, these exchanges are valuable to my work. 

Just before I left, one of the student asked me: 
Miss, are you coming back tomorrow?
I would have loved to answer Yes Chef!