Photo courtesy of Anna Hallman, Trussville City Schools
Kaleigh Wideman, Meredith Willingham, Anna Abney, Anna Grace Wolfe and Ava Morris participate in meal preparation at the Hewitt-Trussville Culinary Academy.
Students at Hewitt-Trussville High School are getting a taste of what it would be like to work in the restaurant and hospitality industry.
Long gone are the days of traditional home economics class at the school. Instead, students are mastering modern culinary techniques and hospitality management through the Hewitt-Trussville Hospitality and Culinary Arts Academy, which are an elective set of classes.
The program provides cutting-edge training in a commercial kitchen that accommodates 24 students. “It’s one of the nicest commercial kitchens in the state,” said Assistant Principal Joy Young.
For the last decade, chef Anna Hallman has taught the program, bringing extensive experience in the industry and a passion for equipping the next generation of hospitality professionals.
Hallman, with a degree from Jefferson State Community College, previously worked for the catering company Kathy G and Co., where she traveled the country preparing dishes for high-profile political figures and celebrities including former president George W. Bush, Condoleezza Rice, Prince, Fergie and Chris Rock. Training new chefs solidified her interest in teaching, so she transitioned to the classroom, where she now empowers students with skills and confidence.
Hallman, who specializes in savory dishes, said it’s nice to teach classes that students thoroughly enjoy and find cathartic. She recounted times students have said things like, “I’ve had a rough day — can I go chop an onion?”
The program’s influence is evident in the lives of alumni like Brian Duffett, now executive sous chef at Hotel Fontenot in New Orleans. He thinks back fondly on classes where Hallman gave students the freedom to create any dishes they wanted. “
Those were the classes I enjoyed the most,” Duffett said. Hallman noticed his talent and encouraged him to attend Jefferson State, where he won a competition that sent him to The Culinary Institute of America in New York.
For current students like Amirah Holifield, the program offers life-enriching experiences. She highlighted the annual Christmas breakfast for senior citizens as a meaningful part of the program. “It’s a chance to give back to the community and see the joy our cooking brings,” Holifield said.
Fellow student Evan Bates noted the program's broad applicability: “The program definitely prepares you for the culinary industry, but more importantly, it provides skills to take into any job.”
Young believes that the success of the academy is a testament to Hallman’s expertise and dedication.
“Anna knows what she's doing,” Young said. “She brings the competency and the passion for her industry and for students, and that's why the program is successful. It's because of her.”
