Each year Apex High adds a few new members to their staff. I got the pleasure of meeting one of our new teachers, Ms. O’Brien! If you’re interested in cooking or wanting to learn how to make some fun dishes, sign up for culinary to learn from the school’s new best! “Students who are creative and fun and look forward to cooking, oh and who bring in fun recipes to try, are some I always hope to have in my class!” says Ms. O’Brien.

Q: Where were you before coming to Apex, and what is something that led you to become a teacher here?

A: So, before coming to Apex, I taught at Sanderson High School for three years and taught some culinary classes and nutrition classes. And then I came and student taught with Mrs Hoskins for a little bit and then became an official teacher here. I tried looking into teaching a few grades to get a feel of what I liked. I tried kindergarten and first grade and then middle school students, which weren’t too bad, but I really liked high school students.

Q: What are some things you really like about the new school and Apex High in general?

A: I really like the building and how big it is! I also really like all the new kitchens and the layout of the classroom and how much room I’m given. I also really like all the staff; they’re super nice and fun to work with the student environment is super amazing here as well.

Q: What are some of your favorite foods to make in class or in general?

A: Oh gosh… my favorite thing to make is Italian. I really like making pasta from scratch and pizza. We tried cooking gnocchis in class; they were something I may or may not do again. But hoping to try making pasta next semester.

Q: What were you like as a student? What classes did you like taking?

A: I was always very quiet, and I never liked to raise my hand or anything. Since I was always like that in school, I always relate and can understand the students that feel the same way. But once I got to college, I opened up more and became more outgoing and wanted to participate more in class. I also always took CTE classes, apparel classes and different things like that.

Q: What led to you wanting to teach culinary/a CTE class?

A: So I went to Cary High School, and I did an internship with one of my teachers, which was one of the apparel and foods teachers. And I would do things like put away groceries or clean up in their classrooms and cut fabric and random stuff like that. So then I went to college, and I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do; I was thinking about being a dietitian and majoring in dietetics, and I realized I didn’t really like the clinical settings, so I didn’t want to work in a hospital or something. So I did another internship, teaching food and nutrition to K-12th graders and found myself really liking the high school ages. And then I went on and decided that this could be a career for me.

Q: What are some of your pet peeves?

A: I hate when people don’t clean up after themselves. Like when they leave things out on the counters or don’t put certain things away or clean their cooking areas and stuff.

Q: What is a type of student you hope to get in your class?

A: Well, of course the ones that are interested to cook. But also the ones who are creative and come in and are really excited about cooking and what we’re doing in class. Also the ones who bring in fun things to try and recipes they find to make and ask to make them and just students who are fun and looking forward to carry through the class and semester.

I’m so happy I had the opportunity to meet Ms. O’Brien! She is super fun and an overall amazing teacher. If you’re interested in making something new, definitely sign up for culinary!