Celebrating Healthy School Food Pathway Apprenticeship Graduate Teresa Vigil
March 18, 2024 | By
In 2023, Teresa Vigil, a Food and Nutrition Services team member at San Luis Coastal Unified School District in California, became the second participant to complete the Healthy School Food Pathway Apprenticeship. Teresa spoke to us about how her Apprenticeship experience not only deepened her passion for her work supporting students’ wellbeing, but also changed how she thought about food in her personal life.
What inspired you to join the HSFP program?
Teresa: Fresh clean food, this is the way. Today we served chicken we cooked [with] raw herbs, mashed potatoes, and fresh garlic bread. [The meals] sold out very quickly. Children and teens respond like us – we all love good fresh food.
What was the most challenging aspect of learning about scratch-cook school food operations, and how did you overcome it?
Teresa: Getting others onboard. My best way to overcome this is to get them to take [Chef Ann Foundation’s HSFP program] and see, yes, that ketchup has a lot of sugar. I have verbally encouraged all I come to meet to get on board and change your life and the children we serve.
What inspired you to join the HSFP program?
Teresa: Fresh clean food, this is the way. Today we served chicken we cooked [with] raw herbs, mashed potatoes, and fresh garlic bread. [The meals] sold out very quickly. Children and teens respond like us – we all love good fresh food.
What was the most challenging aspect of learning about scratch-cook school food operations, and how did you overcome it?
Teresa: Getting others onboard. My best way to overcome this is to get them to take [Chef Ann Foundation’s HSFP program] and see, yes, that ketchup has a lot of sugar. I have verbally encouraged all I come to meet to get on board and change your life and the children we serve.
How has completing the HSFP Pre-Apprenticeship and Apprenticeship shaped your approach to preparing healthy scratch-cooked school meals for students?
Teresa: I am sure my boss is tired of me talking about it, but I want change. Ask for change and demand it. We can always do better. My child is worth it and all the children at school are my children. It takes a village and that is the truth.
How has completing the HSFP Pre-Apprenticeship and Apprenticeship shaped your approach to preparing healthy scratch-cooked school meals for students?
Teresa: I am sure my boss is tired of me talking about it, but I want change. Ask for change and demand it. We can always do better. My child is worth it and all the children at school are my children. It takes a village and that is the truth.
How did your perception of school food operations change during your participation?
Teresa: No more packaged food … why not change? I knew very little about operations other than buying [domestic and locally-grown foods]. But there is a lot more and I learned this from the Chef Ann Foundation, and I really appreciate all that I have learned. This was an investment in me, and I will tell you the rest of my life will be dedicated to promoting this cause.
How did your perception of school food operations change during your participation?
Teresa: No more packaged food … why not change? I knew very little about operations other than buying [domestic and locally-grown foods]. But there is a lot more and I learned this from the Chef Ann Foundation, and I really appreciate all that I have learned. This was an investment in me, and I will tell you the rest of my life will be dedicated to promoting this cause.
What do you hope to accomplish next in your school food operations journey?
Teresa: My journey is not going to end. I want to do a yearly capstone with my food director, which [we] may have to do in summer [because]we have been busy and [have] little help. The first thing I want to do is increase the salad bar area. Fruits and veggies need to have more items, kind of like a restaurant, but I want it centered on veggies, fruits, and different techniques, like roasting, to bring different flavor profiles. I would also like to implement a nom nom cart like one of the Fellows I saw in Sacramento and at least start a YouTube video channel so I can [create] videos for different foods we need to have other employees see, just like another Fellow did (yeah I took their ideas, they were great ideas!) and that is it for this year. Next year, [I’m] not sure. But I know it will be with Chef Ann Foundation in mind. Healthy School Food Pathway is the only way in my opinion.
What do you hope to accomplish next in your school food operations journey?
Teresa: My journey is not going to end. I want to do a yearly capstone with my food director, which [we] may have to do in summer [because]we have been busy and [have] little help. The first thing I want to do is increase the salad bar area. Fruits and veggies need to have more items, kind of like a restaurant, but I want it centered on veggies, fruits, and different techniques, like roasting, to bring different flavor profiles. I would also like to implement a nom nom cart like one of the Fellows I saw in Sacramento and at least start a YouTube video channel so I can [create] videos for different foods we need to have other employees see, just like another Fellow did (yeah I took their ideas, they were great ideas!) and that is it for this year. Next year, [I’m] not sure. But I know it will be with Chef Ann Foundation in mind. Healthy School Food Pathway is the only way in my opinion.
