This year, Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES Culinary Arts seniors will have the opportunity to participate in an internship at the Auburn Bagel Company. So far, four seniors have interned: Elyssa Knafelc, Lillian Miller, Jordan Robinson, and Beautiful Temple.

“We were able to see how the skills we are learning get to be applied to an actual business, but also how I was able to jump in as a worker and not just a shadow the whole time,” said Miller. “They showed us all parts of the job instead of only one part while also explaining the history of the business from when they started to why they work the way they do. They were open about the how's and why's of the business and continued to stay friendly through the entire internship.”

“I would like to work there if I had the chance to,” said Temple.

Auburn Bagel Company’s owner, Tony Daddabbo, says the internship experience provides students with a training ground and allows them to “spread their wings.” He explained that, in recent years, many in the food and beverage industry have claimed that it’s difficult to find help. Daddabbo believes that many large companies focus only on social media-based initiatives with the goals of attracting customers and growing, and not dedicating resources to training and mentoring.

“This business is, at its very core, a business of hospitality; and in order to build a strong 'hospitality' foundation, young people interested in this industry must be trained and mentored. Not only in a particular skill, but in how to create an experience that customers will come back to, time and time again.”

Culinary Arts students highly recommended internships to their peers and noted that the experience can provide clarity on what they may or may not want to do in the future.

“Internships allow kids to get out of their original comfort zone and gain more experience that they wouldn’t be able to acquire otherwise,” said Knafelc.

“It is a good way to see all aspects of an operating kitchen,” added Robinson.

For more information on the Work-Based Learning program at Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES, please contact Kimberly Stevers at kstevers@cayboces.org or at (315) 253-0361, ext. 5117.