During their final examinations, Nicole Livingston, Sterling Holiday, and Sheldon Tsosie were individually tasked with preparing a six-course meal from scratch using mystery ingredients.

Final examinations for the Culinary Arts Program at Navajo Technical University (NTU) have officially begun. Seven students prepared to showcase their skills by cooking a six-course meal. The meal includes an appetizer, salad, soup, fish, an entrée, and dessert, as well as guests, including NTU faculty, staff, and student family members who evaluate the meal. The culinary finals occur at the Hospitality House on NTU’s main campus.

The first two students to present their dishes were DJ Mayweathers and Lambert Abbeya. Both students teamed up with a culinary partner to help with meal preparation. Ingredients were assigned, and each pair developed their menu. Guests were provided with scoring sheets to evaluate the dishes and services the students provided.

Lambert shared that the meal preparation process was full of challenges, but he credited his partner with helping to streamline the cooking by preparing ingredients in advance, saving valuable time. He encountered some difficulty during the fish and entrée courses, particularly with preparing the starch elements, but he persevered in completing the meal.

DJ felt that his culinary final went well overall, although he encountered moments when he fell behind schedule due to minor setbacks. Despite the challenges, he recovered quickly and finished strong. DJ received praise from guests for his fish course and the bread he served. However, he needed help to incorporate all of the assigned ingredients due to the fast-paced nature of the exam. While pleased with the meats he worked with, DJ noted that he had excess vegetables, which he couldn’t use in his dishes. He also expressed gratitude to his partner for the assistance during the final.

Nicole Livingston, Sterling Holiday, and Sheldon Tsosie were among the participants on the exciting second day of the final examinations. All three were given a mystery box of ingredients to incorporate into their six-course meals. The guests, comprised of NTU staff, faculty, and the students’ family members, were treated to the results of each student’s hard work and creativity.

Nicole reflected on the experience, acknowledging the pressure and adrenaline required for the day. She faced particular difficulty with the rabbit roulade, which was challenging to slice due to its brittleness and a mystery fruit she was unfamiliar with. Her mystery ingredients were Indigenous-themed, which she expertly incorporated into her menu.

Sterling encountered a challenge when he began without his partner, causing delays. However, once his partner arrived, the process became smoother. He noted that his assigned starches caused some difficulties, but he worked through the challenge. Sterling’s theme was Mediterranean, which he blended with Native American influences, using lamb and chicken as key ingredients.

Sheldon spoke candidly about the stress of the final exam. “It’s a revealing experience—it shows what kind of person you are under stress and how you treat others during those times,” he said. He learned that careful planning can significantly reduce stress, noting that while creating a six-course meal from scratch was challenging, it was a valuable experience that would better prepare him for future culinary endeavors.

One of the special guests, NTU provost Dr. Colleen Bowman, shared her thoughts on the event. “The culinary arts finals were very well executed. The students serving at each of the three tables did a phenomenal job—from explaining their meals to detailing how they incorporated their themes into each course. It was truly amazing,” she said. Dr. Bowman also praised the Culinary Arts Program professors for organizing the event and acknowledged the professionalism displayed by the students throughout the service.

The NTU Culinary Arts Program celebrated the vibrant conclusion of its fall 2024 finals, featuring an exciting six-course meal challenge for two talented students, Ohmry Secatero and Justina Smith. Each student received a mystery box of ingredients, with tofu being the required mystery ingredient to incorporate into one of their courses. The panel of guests included NTU faculty, staff, and the students’ families.

Justina’s dishes flowed smoothly from the kitchen to the guests’ tables, a feat she attributes to her extra prep time and the opportunity to observe her classmates’ progress during the first two days of the final. She took careful notes on areas for improvement and applied those insights. Incorporating tofu did prove challenging, but she adapted by sautéing and crumbing the tofu, using it as a topping for her fish course.

Ohmry, on the other hand, was pleasantly surprised by how smoothly the day went. He maintained his composure throughout the exam, crediting his success to his extra prep time. With all his ingredients ready, he could plan his cooking schedule without worrying about time constraints. One unexpected challenge he faced was a flare-up of high flames while cooking, but his previous experience helped him stay calm and efficiently handle the situation.

Seven students have now completed their finals. Each faced unique challenges, but all have successfully navigated the demanding six-course meal exam, a key component of the Culinary Arts Program curriculum.