Knight established a career in fine dining before taking the position in 2003. He worked as an apprentice in the American Culinary Federation, then as a sous chef, considered the kitchen's second in command, and later as an executive chef.
"This is a career and technical education class. The first year covers all the basics of cooking. They also learn the practical application of dining room set up and breakdown, buffet, menu planning and how to set a table properly," Knight said.
The idea is to prepare students to work in the industry, including the chance to earn industry certification. Out his 120 students, about 25 are seeking certification, Knight said.
Brevard Public Schools has other culinary programs at Titusville High, Bayside High and Melbourne High.
"It's preparing them for a career in the hospitality industry, not just culinary," Knight said.
QUESTION: Has the industry been impacted by the downturn in the economy?
ANSWER: Even in a recession people still have to eat. I tell my students you'll never have a problem finding work in this type of field because people will always get hungry. There are so many opportunities.
Q: Is it hard to teach students in a short period of time?
A: This is a 47-minute class so it's incredibly difficult to take a first-year student and really saturate them in what they need to know to keep them interested. But the good thing is, they can come back and the second year they can have two hours and we can actually create wedding cakes.
Q: Can you tell whether a student has a flair for it?
A: Yes. It's real hard to teach work ethic. It's usually better instilled by their family and parents. I can definitely tell when a student has the ability to take their role seriously and put 110 percent into everything they do. Especially around food, it's easy to tell. You put your emotions into the cooking and it comes out in the taste. That's why I teach them how to make bread from scratch. You go home when you have a bad day and you want to feel better, go home and make a loaf of bread. It'll make you feel like a million bucks.
Q: What is the most important thing you teach?
A: I think the most valuable thing is to never stop learning.
Q: What is your favorite part of your job?
A: I think after we give an event and they realize how wonderful the food was. The night is over and it was a huge success. Just the look on their faces.