Last week was a fun week! 

It’s weeks like this that are why I ran for School Board with a goal of bringing the community together to support the education of our children.  

There were two events that epitomized that cooperation, both great examples of the magic that happens for our kids when our schools have communities that support them.  

The first event was the inaugural Taste of Wekiva event, which was a magical evening that turned the courtyard of Wekiva High School into a spectacular tasting event that included cooking demonstrations, delicious food and very happy guests! 

The food was unreal. From rack of lamb to wagyu street tacos to shrimp and grits, paired with an outstanding taco smores, it was the type of food you would expect from the best restaurants in town.  

But what made this evening so special were the guest chefs who partnered with our young student chefs to mentor and prepare the dishes the guests devoured. These chefs were from some of the top restaurants in our region and volunteered their time to spend several days with these students. 

Stopping at several of the cooking stations, I spoke with the guest chefs, and every single one spoke about how impressed they were with our culinary students. They said that not only did the students possess excellent culinary skills, but the work ethic, grit and attitude of each student was incredibly impressive.  

I couldn’t help but admire our young culinary students and imagine how working alongside professional executive chefs would be transformative and life-changing for some of these students. I was so grateful for the chefs for their time and willingness to give of themselves for the benefit of these students’ futures. 

Then, on Saturday, the Amazing Shake competition took place. It comes from the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta and teaches young kids the skills of networking, strong handshakes and conversation. 

It has been a part of Dream Lake Elementary’s programming for years, and I am thrilled that the program is expanding to more Apopka area schools. Last weekend, Dream Lake hosted the Apopka Area Amazing Shake competition, which included Clay Springs Elementary and Apopka Elementary schools.  

The students competed in various events where they had to demonstrate on the spot speaking skills, the ability to start a conversation, problem solve, debate and let their personality shine in front of community judges.  

I was lucky enough to be a judge along with several other community members who gave up their Saturday to help these young students develop these skills that will set them up for success in the future. 

We are so lucky to live in a community that shows up for our students.  

I encourage our schools to keep reaching out to our community, and I encourage every community member to reach out to schools to see where you can help.  

It makes a difference in all of our futures.