Culinary arts instructor honored as Educator of Excellence
Steve Barrett
Daniel Wagner (second from right), culinary arts instructor at Greene County Career and Technology Center, works with students Nichole Crowe, Lauren Uveges, Lillan Dues, Collin Purcell and Dylan Wilson in the program鈥檚 kitchen. Wagner was recently selected as the 2022 Pennsylvania ProStart Educator of Excellence.
Submitted
Hope Sterner (pictured right), director of education for the Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association, recently presented Daniel Wagner, culinary arts instructor at Greene County Career and Technology Center, with the 2022 Pennsylvania ProStart Educator of Excellence. (Submitted photo)
Daniel Wagner, culinary arts instructor at Greene County Career and Technology Center, has added another accolade to his long and already impressive career.
The Greene County native, who has served as CTC culinary arts instructor for more than three decades, was selected as the 2022 Pennsylvania ProStart Educator of Excellence.
This award means he will join other State Educators of Excellence Award winners in being honored at the National ProStart Invitational Awards Dinner on May 8 in Washington, D.C., where four instructors will be chosen as winners in four categories: classroom, expertise, industry connection and best practice/knowledge sharing.
In addition to the awards dinner, Wagner and the other SEEA winners are invited to attend an event in July in Las Vegas that will be a mixture of knowledge and best practice sharing and fun activities.
The award is an impressive achievement for the longtime chef; however, the always modest and humble Wagner says the award truly belongs to his students and the CTC, and the individuals within the community who want to see the culinary students succeed.
鈥淚 deeply appreciate this award and I thank ProStart for the recognition, but without a doubt, it鈥檚 all about the students,鈥� he said, while working busily with several 10th grade students in the culinary arts program kitchen. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about them, and it鈥檚 about the many people within our network wanting to see our students achieve great success.鈥�
Wagner was nominated for the award in January by Hope Sterner, director of education for the Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association. According to Sterner, the association represents the entirety of the state鈥檚 hospitality and tourism industry, including restaurants, hotels, destination marketing organizations, attractions, institutions, students and industry suppliers.
鈥淧RLA strives to promote, protect, educate and improve the industry through our advocacy, professional development, resources, and events,鈥� she said.
She added that ProStart is a nationally accredited and industry-backed program for high school students to create the next generation of hospitality industry leaders.
鈥淲ith programs that garner skills ranging from culinary technique to management abilities, ProStart鈥檚 curriculum offers real-life experience opportunities and creates a foundation of useful skills that last a lifetime,鈥� she said.
Sterner said PA ProStart Educator of Excellence award looks to recognize an educator who has passion, commitment and creativity in all aspects of their program to help their students make the most of the opportunities offered.
鈥淲e are honored to have Dan Wagner involved with ProStart,鈥� she said. 鈥淗is tenacity and willingness to find industry connections has given his students invaluable experiences outside of their local area. His dedication to his students鈥� learning helps to provide them with a full culinary experience.
鈥淗e continues to push boundaries and show his students the importance of networking and making connections,鈥� she continued.
Wagner said the culinary arts program has been using the ProStart program for the past four years.
Other honors that Wagner has received throughout his career include the Sysco Corporation Secondary Educator of the Year Award in 2019, the Carnegie Science Award for Secondary Education in 2018 and the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America Adviser of the Year Award.
Wagner said he takes pride in the fact that he has worked diligently over the years building and strengthening connections with people through social media and other networking outlets.
鈥淎ll of the networking initiatives that have been done within the culinary arts program ultimately has to do directly with providing solid outcomes for the students,鈥� he said. 鈥淣etworking is about connecting, it鈥檚 about internships and job shadowing, it鈥檚 about being given opportunities to work with businesses and individuals in the industry, and working with top chefs across the world, in-person or virtually.
鈥淪uccess is possible through the willingness and connectivity of networking,鈥� he added. 鈥淭hat is why networking is so essential.鈥�
Wagner also attributed the success of the culinary arts program and students to the current Greene County CTC administration.
鈥淭heir support has been a huge positive asset to the program, and they deserve a great of credit,鈥� he said.
CTC Administrative Director Mark Krupa said Wagner and other CTC instructors, including those who have also recently won awards in their respective departments, deserve credit for their commitment to the students.
鈥淥ur instructors are second to none,鈥� Krupa said. 鈥淲e are really proud of them and what they bring day in and day out to their students. We are excited for them and are very honored to have them as vital assets of the Greene County Career and Technology Center.鈥�