There's a force of nature behind the door of Room 325 at Frankford High School in Philadelphia. Her name is Wilma Stephenson and she teaches Culinary Arts. She has taught at Frankford for 40 years, long before Culinary Arts became part of the school's curriculum. Infamously blunt, Mrs. Stephenson runs a “boot camp” at Frankford, disciplining her students into capable chefs and responsible students. Behind her tough-talking exterior is a teacher who cares passionately about getting the best out of her students and making sure they receive the opportunities - including scholarships to top programs - that will help them escape the meager minimum-wage job opportunities of Northeast Philly. She can be cantankerous, and she knows it, but she will do anything for the students who get with the program and show true promise and the hunger to succeed. |
