Signing Day: CATS culinary students earn college scholarships

Posted on by Mike Fuhrman
Students Clayton Eggers (left) and Jordan Turner are shown at Lowe’s Corporate headquarters in Mooresville, where they completed an internship program through Navigate Foundation.

BY KARISSA MILLER

Career Academy and Technical School Culinary instructor Nate Turner has been busy this year expanding culinary opportunities for students through bake sales and relevant work-based experiences.

One way he’s done that is through the Navigate Foundation program, an initiative that offers professional development and specialized training, while helping participants find sustainable job placement.

According to Turner, Navigate partners with public and private entities to serve a diverse group of individuals, ranging from high school students to young adults.

Several CATS students have been invited to participate in a paid internship experience.

Culinary students Clayton Eggers and Jordan Turner, who are both Statesville High School seniors, are participants in the Navigate Foundation program. They worked at Lowe’s Corporate headquarters in Mooresville for eight weeks.

And that experience helped solidified their decision to pursue a culinary career. As a result, Eggers and Turner have signed with Johnson & Wales University after receiving scholarships. Jordan received $78,000 and Clayton received $64,000. Both plan on starting school next fall and will study culinary and business management.

The school invited family and close friends to a signing day at the end of November.

Pictured (back row, from left) are CATS Principal Larry Rogers; Ella Valles, Walter Soriano; CATS culinary student Clayton Eggers; Warren Dilger, Alyssa Ceritello, Stephanie Dilger, CATS Culinary Instructor Nate Turner; (front row, from left) Alexandra Dilger and Smatha Dunkle.
Pictured (back row, from left) are CATS Principal Larry Rogers; Shanika Turner, CATS culinary student Jordan Turner, Larry Turner, Anita Turner and CATS Culinary Instructor Nate Turner; (front, from left) Jaxon Turner.