CARROLLTON, GA — A teacher who is passionate about culinary arts took part in an internship with a local restaurant over the summer to help hone her skills in the field.

Carmen Dill teaches the culinary arts pathway at Carrollton High School and said her experience interning with Little Hawaiian in Carrollton was invaluable.

“Without any formal restaurant experience and with a strong belief in lifelong learning, I decided this was a great opportunity to get very relevant experience that can be passed along to my students,” said Dill.

The opportunity was made possible through a grant from Regional Educational Service Agencies (RESA).

The program required coursework that was done via Zoom calls, group work and independent assignments. The live work portion required 120 hours — 40 in front of house and 80 in back of house experiences.

“The most valuable aspect of the experience, in my opinion, was witnessing the real-world application of what is taught in the classroom. With no previous restaurant experience, I’ve done a lot of research, asked a lot of questions and taught myself. With this new knowledge, I can convey to my students the practical application of what we cover in class.”

Elizabeth Sanders, director of Career, Technical and Agricultural Education (CTAE) at CHS said Dill is continually looking for ways to better herself for her students.

“Mrs. Dill participated in a true real-world experience this summer at Little Hawaiian,” said Sanders. “She took this wonderful opportunity to build her knowledge in the restaurant industry and what better place than an upbeat restaurant selling Hawaiian-style seafood, meat, and pastries. I am extremely grateful for Mrs. Dill and all that she does for the students at CHS.”

“I truly loved my experience; Chef Tano and his staff were amazing,” said Dill. “They were so patient with me and taught me so much. A bonus was that several of the staff, both front of house and back of house are Trojan alumni! I was a little sad when my time was over.”