Culinary Arts teacher Chef Rick Leece is an outstanding mentor who goes above and beyond for the culinary program and, in particular, his students. Chef makes a great example of how teachers should be toward their students to ensure both life and classroom success.
“He’s very kind, sweet and he loves his students. That’s what I really like about him,” Fashion teacher Ms. Bella said.
Chef Leece has been at the school since 2014. Before becoming a teacher, he worked in the culinary industry for 10 years at different restaurants and country clubs. One of his early jobs included working at a teenage rehab center in Malibu. Not only did he get to choose what food to cook, but he used this skill to connect with the kids in the program. The kids that were going through the program didn’t just struggle with drugs, but also behavioral and attitude issues as well.
“Some of these kids were 13 years old, and seeing them grow and develop was amazing,” Chef Leece said.
After working at the rehab center for some time, he decided to move on and work at real restaurants. When he was 26 years old, he was an executive chef at a country club in Thousand Oaks. During his time in the industry, he never planned to teach. He had a friend who was acquaintances with the culinary teacher at Beverly. The teacher at the time had left to do a TV show with six weeks of school remaining. Chef Leece was asked to substitute the class during that short time of the school year.
Over that summer, when he was asked if he wanted to return and teach full time, he decided to give it a try and do it.
“Ten years, here I am and I love that I get to teach young adults how to cook and life skills,” Chef Leece said.
Chef has had a special way of connecting with students and after they graduate, they still stay in touch with him after they leave. It’s rare for most teachers to stay in touch with their students after they graduate, and the fact that Chef has this ability to do this shows how empathetic and compassionate he is about his relationship with his students.
“Chef has built great relationships with his students. They respect him and stay in touch even after graduation,” Business and Finance teacher Mr. G said.
So whether it’s a hobby of yours or passion, by joining this class you will get a blend of both cooking and life skills that will change your life and help you grow as a person. After taking his class for one year my sophomore year of high school, although it wasn’t my passion, not only did I learn how to cook recipes that I am able to make at home, but most importantly Chef challenged my views in a good way which helped me grow as a person, which is important for mentors to do whether it’s a friend, teacher or family member.
“Chef has taught me to always try my best and never give up even when it seems like it’s impossible. He allows us to think outside the box and teaches us to not be afraid of making mistakes,” Culinary student Delera Yektafar said.
