If you’ve ever taken a culinary class before, you may have seen Catherine Cunningham ’22 around the kitchen. Ever since freshman year, Cunningham has had an interest in cooking, something she credits to culinary teacher Cecily Gans.

“She’s amazing. She’s truly shaped my high school career. So I cook with chef Gans for that reason. Cause I love her,” Cunningham said. 

Even now, Cunningham continues her passion for baking, interning in the culinary classroom kitchen with Gans. Though she is knowledgeable on all types of foods, her primary interest lies with baking.

“I like baking pastries and stuff like that a lot more than making traditional dinners,” she said.

Her favorite meals to prepare include bagels, croissants, macrons, and hamantaschen – an Israeli pastry with poppy seed filling and jam inside. 

Cooking isn’t her only interest, however. Cunningham also has a passion for art, something that she hopes to pursue as a career path. Cunningham plans to attend Emerson college and study business and art. These are skills she hopes to be able to combine once she leaves college. 

“My dream would be to open an art gallery,” she said. 

Like cooking, Cunningham’s interest in art also started freshman year.

“I took watercolor freshman year with [art teacher Angela Simpson] and I started just like sketching and I just like sketching, simple stuff like that.” Cunningham said. 

She then started pursuing the arts more seriously the year after. 

Even with her eyes set on the future, Cunningham still takes the time to focus on some of the more simple pleasures in life when she can.

“I like driving around,” she said. “I like going to the beach with friends, [and] I like watching movies.”