After teaching culinary arts at Carson High School for six years, Penny Reynolds has cooked up the recipe to success.
She was recently named Nevada's ProStart teacher of the year and will compete for the national honor May 21 at the National Restaurant Association show in Chicago.
"When we started this, (Principal) Glen (Adair) told me in five years you'll be blossoming," she said. "I told him three. I guess Glen was right. You have to do something over and over to get good at it."
Reynolds started out as a home and career skills teacher at Eagle Valley Middle School 18 years ago. After 11 years, she transferred to the high school to teach biology, and the following year she started the culinary arts program.
Three years into it, students started receiving scholarships in the field. Last year, her program became affiliated with the National Restaurant Association's ProStart program.
"ProStart actually put all the pieces together for me," said Reynolds, who struggled to develop the program with no state standards as a guide. She has since worked to develop a set of standards to govern culinary arts in Nevada.
"I've kind of taken on the role as mentor for other teachers, especially in Northern Nevada," she said.
Last summer, she became the first high school teacher on the West Coast to become nationally certified in ProStart education. She also received a second master's degree in culinary education from Johnson and Wales Culinary Institute in Rhode Island.
In January, her program was featured in the national culinary magazine Sysco Today.
Despite her long list of accomplishments, Reynolds is always eager to switch the spotlight to her students.
"I love seeing the potential and the growth in my students," she said. "It's their future."
Her 16 seniors last year received $258,000 in scholarship money. This year, her students have already surpassed that total.
Sixty-three of them are working in the restaurant industry already.
"It's really neat to walk into a place and see my kids," she said. "It's even better to show the community that these kids really are learning."
Giving the students so much of her time has meant sacrifice as well.
"If I had my own kids, I could never do what I'm doing," she explained.
Is it worth it?
"Oh yeah!" she said.
Her husband, Stephan, supports her decision.
"He loves these guys, and he knows my passion is with my students," Reynolds said. "And he understands why."
And there's an added benefit as her students graduate and pursue careers.
"No matter where I travel, I'll always have free food," she joked.
Contact Teri Vance at tvance@nevadaappeal.com or at 881-1272.