CCHS culinary students cook up four-course meal for school board

By GARY EMMERT 
Cove Leader-Press

From the moment you stepped through the doors at Copperas Cove High School on Thursday, the enticing aroma coming from the culinary arts classroom grabbed your attention.  Hors d’oeuvres were already cooking in the stoves, including zucchini fritters, stuffed mushrooms and spinach jalapeno puffs.  
These tasty treats were being prepared as part of January 2019’s School Board of Trustees Appreciation Month festivities.  This year’s motto is “Spread the seeds of success.”  
One board member that has enjoyed this annual tradition since being elected in May 2011 was Dr. Karen Harrison, a 1988 Copperas Cove High School graduate who now practices at Baylor Scott & White’s Copperas Cove Clinic.  
“Ms. Loughran does such a great job.  What the students are learning, not only can they make a good career from it, but they are learning good life skills,” said Harrison.
As the board members were getting settled in their seats, the tables were decorated with a silver tray centerpiece adorned with a green vine and candles, sitting on a sleek black tablecloth.  Students brought each course out on white, rectangular plates, while another student would describe the edibles on which they were about to feast.  
Dorianne McDonald is a senior and student in the school’s advanced culinary class.  
“Cooking is very therapeutic for me and I really want to have a basis for when I move out on my own,” said McDonald.  While she doesn’t plan on pursuing a career in the culinary arts after high school, she is learning an invaluable life lesson.  “I just don’t like to do the dishes,” McDonald added.
At the heart of all of this was their teacher, Amy Loughran, who has been leading this group of culinary wizards for seven years.  
“It’s an event that we get to do every year, we all look forward to it.  It’s great to be able to thank and celebrate these people who work so hard for us.”  
In addition to feeding the school board on Thursday, the students have had luncheons for teachers and even held a cupcake-making contest.  
“I am very blessed to be in this job,” Loughran added, “I love cooking food and love teaching, you put the two together, how lucky can you be?”  The students and board members would argue that they are the lucky ones to have a teacher like her.