News

November 28, 2023

Capital Region BOCES Students Produce and Sell Hundreds of Thanksgiving Pies as a Lesson in Charity

In less than 10 classroom hours, students in the Capital Region BOCES Culinary Arts and Hospitality Tech program produced and distributed 365 pies this week to adorn Thanksgiving Day tables across the region.

The pumpkin, pecan apple streusel, coconut cream, banana cream and chocolate cream pies were sold on the Career & Technical Education Center – Albany Campus as a fundraiser for the SkillsUSA organization.

“It was absolutely amazing. The students did an incredible job,” said Chef Erica Weakley who oversaw the operation, which also included students from the Food Services program.

“It’s a good opportunity for the students to be part of a large volume production. This is something they wouldn’t typically get to do, even in college,” she said.

Students said they learned a lot making hundreds of pies.

“I learned that time can’t be wasted,” said Connor Vojnar, an aspiring lawyer from Guilderland who is enrolled in the culinary arts program to learn how to cook and be able to “survive on his own.”

Classmate Roman Pettograsso, who plans to be a chef, said his biggest takeaway from the pie sale is that “they are not as easy as you think they are to make.”

“It was still a lot of fun, but it was a lot of work,” the Shenendehowa senior added.

SkillsUSA is a career and technical student organization serving more than 395,000 high school students. The organization promotes personal and professional growth and offers students the opportunity to network with industry executives and professionals at the local, regional, state and national levels and to compete in competitions. The organization also promotes giving back to the community, which locally results in collections each year for food pantries and city missions.

Deb Toy, advisor to the Albany Career and Technical Education Campus chapter, said the funds raised from the pie sales will support students who compete at the New York State SkillsUSA competition in the spring.