Allyson’s journey into the Culinary Pathway and beyond

How Allyson Bergemann found a love for cooking through culinary courses at BHS

As a child, Allyson enjoyed helping her mom in the kitchen but eventually drifted away toward art. When she was in middle school, she had a passion for taking photographs and was talented at both capturing and editing images. She grew in her craft and as she approached high school, she started thinking about whether or not photography would be her future career. 

“I kind of thought being a photographer would end up being a lonely job that would be just on me to make a name for myself and grow a business,” said Allyson. “We had FACS class in middle school and made an Orange Julius and I remember that being another spark of wanting to cook. Once I took Foundations of Food my freshman year, I got really interested in food.”

That was just the beginning. She explored the school’s various Pathways opportunities with business, art classes, and even a woodworking class. But when she took Chef classes, she found that in addition to enjoying making food, she loved the collaboration and community. When culinary teacher Matt Deutsch needed students to help with catering events, she jumped at the chance. The events range from hosting a crepe stand at a school event to creating appetizers for a hall of fame event, bringing a sense of real-world experience to students. 

During the school day, she takes advantage of every chance she can get to cook. She is currently in three cooking classes and says she likes the way the cooking classrooms create opportunities for great things to happen. She also says that while it may be close quarters, everything in the space makes sense.

“Each station has a mirror so people can see behind them with a sink, table, stove and oven with additional supplies in the middle of the room,” said Allyson. “I really like seeing how people work quickly together and communicate. You need a strong sense of communication and trust in the kitchen because if I say I have a hot pan, don’t move!”

The teachers at BHS provided a lot of wisdom and help both in and out of the kitchen and the classroom. She took advantage of college credits through Inver Hills Community College and learned a lot about different career opportunities and the essential skills needed to succeed in the field. After graduation, she will attend St. Paul College in its Culinary Arts Program and tries to encourage others to try new things to find what they are passionate about. 

“I am a Link Leader at school and I tell kids to try a new experience and see how it goes, because it may give you better communication skills or other skills that can serve you in other ways,” said Allyson. “With cooking and in life, it’s ok to make mistakes. It’s ok to burn cookies as long as you learn from your mistakes and make them better next time.” 

For now, she will continue to learn what she can and prepare herself for life after high school where she will build on her skills, collaborate with others and create delicious food. 

“Food brings people together and strengthens a sense of community,” said Allyson. “People can bond over food, even if it’s really bad food, it’s a bonding experience. Learning these skills is important and it’s a great way to create something and be really proud of it!”

Allyson’s Favorites

• Food to eat - Tom Yum (Thai Soup) - “It’s sour, spicy, and so comforting.”
• Food to cook for someone else - Pasta with homemade sauce - “I make a really good creamy tomato sauce!”
• Catering moment - “We were at the Stars of Future event at the Four Seasons in Minneapolis and were all in one big ballroom and I learned how to cook steak that day and cooked it perfectly every time. Things were starting to quiet down, the speakers were talking and we were out of steak and I put the steak in the pan to cook more and it made SO much noise.”
• Advice - “I encourage everyone to try different things so they find something they really enjoy and want to pursue rather than just settling for something. You’d rather be happy than just be making money!”