![Student Spotlight](https://image.pbs.org/contentchannels/J8vrixr-white-logo-41-AYx2GQ7.png?format=webp&resize=200x)
Go inside SECTA’s “The Whitney”
Clip: Season 4 Episode 6 | 4m 42sVideo has Closed Captions
Get a taste of what SECTA culinary students are learning at their student run restaurant.
Go inside “The Whitney,” a student run restaurant at Southeast Career & Technical Academy (SECTA). Get a taste of what students are learning, from culinary skills to customer service.
![Student Spotlight](https://image.pbs.org/contentchannels/J8vrixr-white-logo-41-AYx2GQ7.png?format=webp&resize=200x)
Go inside SECTA’s “The Whitney”
Clip: Season 4 Episode 6 | 4m 42sVideo has Closed Captions
Go inside “The Whitney,” a student run restaurant at Southeast Career & Technical Academy (SECTA). Get a taste of what students are learning, from culinary skills to customer service.
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipWell, preparing students for careers remains top priority, and SECTA's Culinary program is absolutely amazing.
The Whitney is the only student-run, full-service restaurant open to the public, and I got the chance to experience the magic that happens in that state-of-the-art kitchen.
Check it out.
♪♪♪ (Chef Giacona) I'm so impressed, second semester with everyone, that just like the teamwork is natural, the problem solving, and you guys have all been on stations before.
So if you can't, you guys are figuring stuff out.
And it's so good.
-Students Alexis, Joey, Sofia, and their fellow SECTA Culinary students have definitely figured out how to run a successful restaurant.
(Sofia) My position today is a sous chef.
Can I get a large Caesar with chicken?
(a student) Yes, ma'am.
(Joey) Today I'm a front server for the restaurant, which means I'll be bringing out food and, like, serving and making sure everyone's orders are correct and making sure all the customers are happy.
(Alexis) If I'm serving, if I'm the cashier, if I'm a line cook, you're just always surrounded with this great community and just everyone that has the passion.
-Feeling that passion and training these future chefs and restaurant owners... -I started teaching at 23.
I was teaching seniors who were 18, had no idea what I was doing, and then it got better every year.
And then 22 years later, I'm still running this program, which is crazy.
-...Chef Emily Giacona and Chef John Schlothauer.
(Chef Schlothauer) One more piece.
Give that like a little swirl.
-Both of them are very passionate about what they do, which is what makes this program also so much better.
-Chef G and Chef John not only serve as culinary instructors and mentors, they also hold another impressive title.
Your favorite celebrity chefs?
-Chef G and Chef John, duh!
-My juniors right now, I work with Chef Emily and her senior class, and we run the restaurant together.
They do all the cooking techniques, from pastry baking, entree plating, soup preparation, production, and then they work the line.
-The Whitney, with its breathtaking views of the city, excellent customer service, and, of course, the delicious food can rival any restaurant in town.
And what these talented students are learning in SECTA's Culinary program... preparing them for jobs on the Las Vegas Strip.
-The MGM and the Mandalay Bay and the Luxor came to our school, invited all the other career and tech high schools, and they wanted to hire our students.
We were invited on a field trip last week because they wanted these seniors to go see the kitchens.
They want to do the tryout again; they want to grab more kids from this graduating class.
It's humbling to see the executive chef of these big hotels in our school.
-They have a whole chocolate room, which I was really interested, so I might go into that field, go into pastry chef for Mandalay Bay, and that'd be fun.
-Bright features ahead... -I want to, hopefully, like, build my way up to opening up my own restaurants within the casinos.
-...and already paying it forward.
-Start bagging this.
Because it's big, it's probably two bags.
-Alexis is hoping to be a source of inspiration for aspiring culinary students.
-Not only being a deaf individual as myself wearing hearing aids and being in this program, paving ways so that people like me can be involved in this program and showing that anyone can do it, whether you have a disability, whether you're scared, whether you just-- you just gotta take the leap and do things you're afraid to do.
So it's just, I wouldn't ask for a better place to be here and be a student here.
-I am so incredibly proud of all of these talented students.
And check out another way these students are giving back and sharing their skills: These adorable students from The Preschool at Southeast Tech get to hang out here in the kitchen and learn how to make cookies.
So cute.
And those cookies just look so yummy.
And speaking of baking, we're being told that a must-have when you visit here at The Whitney are rolls made from scratch.
But everything's absolutely delicious.
Look, I have the menu right here.
It changes every two weeks or so, and this week they have everything from Lemon Herb Mediterranean Chicken Salad to Rainbow Veggie Wraps.
Now, their prices range anywhere from $1 for coffee and soft drinks to $3 for appetizers and about $6 to $8 for entrees.
You definitely cannot beat those prices.
And again, The Whitney, by the way, is open Tuesday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to noon.
You must make a reservation.
You can also order your food to go.
For more information, head to secta.us, and click the Student tab, then click "The Whitney."
There you can fill out your reservation and order online.
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