{"id":13997,"date":"2025-06-09T13:13:48","date_gmt":"2025-06-09T17:13:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/?p=13997"},"modified":"2025-06-09T13:13:48","modified_gmt":"2025-06-09T17:13:48","slug":"from-disney-to-the-district-how-this-chef-is-helping-elevate-school-meals-at-vbcps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/from-disney-to-the-district-how-this-chef-is-helping-elevate-school-meals-at-vbcps\/","title":{"rendered":"From Disney to the District: How This Chef is Helping Elevate School Meals at VBCPS"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Maritza Rodriguez-Brown didn\u2019t always envision herself in a school kitchen. Before joining Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS), she sharpened her culinary skills at Walt Disney World, various restaurants, and Farm Fresh, serving as a chef and sous chef in high-paced, customer-driven environments.<\/p>\n

But when Farm Fresh closed, a customer suggested she apply to the school division. What started as a role in cafeteria management soon evolved into a dynamic and rewarding culinary career with VBCPS.<\/p>\n

A Recipe for Growth<\/h2>\n

Rodriguez-Brown joined VBCPS in 2018 and has grown into her current position as a Culinary Development Chef Assistant Trainer. Her days are anything but routine.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes I\u2019m out at schools serving meals, other times I\u2019m helping develop new recipes or training staff,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

She works closely with the Food Services team on everything from menu planning and recipe development for catering events. These include events like the Environmental Studies graduation at the Brock Center, retirement celebrations for division staff, and School Board retreats.<\/p>\n

Her favorite task? \u201cComing up with new recipes for the schools. We want them to be scratch-made, easy, and fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Kids Are the Critics<\/h2>\n

The student voice plays a critical role in what ends up on the lunch tray. Rodriguez-Brown and her team regularly visit schools to sample new recipes directly with students, bringing interactive taste-testing straight to the cafeteria.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeeing kids try something we created\u2014and like it\u2014is the most rewarding part,\u201d she says.<\/em><\/p>\n

Armed with boards and simple \u201cyes or no\u201d voting, they collect feedback from students and use it to guide what makes the final menu. If the students love it, it\u2019s in. If they don\u2019t, it\u2019s back to the kitchen.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s fun for them and meaningful for us,\u201d she adds. \u201cWe want to serve food they\u2019re excited to eat.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cooking Up Careers<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/a>Rodriguez-Brown\u2019s impact doesn\u2019t stop at the plate. Alongside Chef Susan Marihew, she teaches culinary classes for cafeteria assistants and managers, giving them the skills \u2014 and confidence \u2014 to advance in their careers.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey start by learning knife skills and finish by preparing a full meal,\u201d she explains. \u201cThey can earn ServSafe certification and even college credit.\u201d<\/p>\n

The free professional development within VBCPS has helped many staff members grow into new roles. When Rodriguez-Brown walks into schools, she often gets hugs from team members she helped train and mentor.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven if I don\u2019t do their job anymore, I\u2019ll always be there to help,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

A Culture of Care<\/h2>\n

Rodriguez-Brown credits much of her job satisfaction to the culture at VBCPS.<\/p>\n

\u201cEspecially in the Office of Food Services \u2014 we\u2019re like a family,\u201d she says. \u201cWe celebrate birthdays, milestones, and support each other. It\u2019s more than just a workplace.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her message to someone considering a role with the division?<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on. There\u2019s a lot you can learn, even as an adult.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

Are you looking for a career that offers growth, community, and the chance to truly make a difference? VBCPS offers opportunities to shape futures \u2014 and grow yours.<\/p>\n

Explore opportunities, meet our team, and apply today at <\/strong>www.vbschools.com\/careers<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Maritza Rodriguez-Brown didn\u2019t always envision herself in a school kitchen. Before joining Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS), she sharpened her culinary skills at Walt Disney World, various restaurants, and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":13999,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[213],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13997","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-staff-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13997","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13997"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13997\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14002,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13997\/revisions\/14002"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13999"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13997"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13997"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13997"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}