Editor’s Note: This is the eighth in a series of 19 stories about last semester’s Principal’s Recognition  Award winners who were recognized on Wednesday, Dec. 2 for outstanding achievement in specific programs. Junior Marissa Scarbro received the Fine and Applied Arts: Culinary Award and was nominated by Ms. Maria Kelly.

Coming home after a long day of school to a home cooked meal is what some students daydream about while taking notes from the PowerPoint in class. Junior Marissa Scarbro doesn’t daydream of coming home to a meal, but going home to make one, with a side of cookies of course. Her passion for cooking and baking got her nominated for a Principal’s Recognition Award this year. Scarbro has been making little meals since she was little. When she started her freshman year, she got serious about cooking.

“‘Serious’ as in I would come home and would want to cook everyday and would follow recipes. When I was little I didn’t really think ‘oh, I’ll follow a recipe,’ I just kinda threw ingredients together and just made stuff. Now, I’m starting to get more serious about it,” Scarbro said.

If Scarbro had her own restaurant with her own menu, chocolate cookies would always be the “Chef’s Special.” Her cookies have been chewed and bought by the school when the chef’s classes have their bake sales.

“I’m really open to making anything but I really like to bake cookies, that’s my favorite because I’m really good at it. My go-to is chocolate chip cookies and that’s what Ms. Kelly always tells me to make,” Scarbro said.

Family & Consumer Science’s teacher Maria Kelly has seen over Scarbro’s baking and cooking progress since her freshman year. Kelly, and the Fine and Applied Arts  Department nominated Scarbro for the Principal’s Recognition Award.

“I’ve had her for the past three years in all the culinary courses. She’s determined, she’s passionate about it, and she’s always willing to stay after school, she’s a team player and works well with her peers. She deserved it,” Kelly said.

Scarbro was really excited when speaking about her culinary skills and being nominated for this award. She was proud of herself and so were her friends and family when she got the award.

“I was really surprised, I didn’t think ‘oh, I’m going to win an award’ or anything but I was really happy, my mom was really proud, she knows I love cooking and baking. I was just really honored and happy,” Scarbro said.

Previous installment in the Principal’s Recognition Award series

Ahsan Lodhika  –  http://www.nileswestnews.org/features/principals-recognition-award-ahsan-lodhika/