LaKisha Jordan, a ProStart culinary arts instructor at T.F. Riggs High School in Pierre, South Dakota, has been named the 2024 ProStart State Educator of Excellence by the South Dakota Retailers Association. This award recognizes her dedication to providing real-world experiences to her students both inside and outside the classroom.
Jordan believes that cultivating culinary curiosity is essential for students’ success in leadership roles in culinary and restaurant settings on a nationwide scale. To ignite this curiosity within her students, she focuses on engaging them in hands-on experiences that go beyond traditional coursework. She teaches Family and Consumer Sciences at T.F. Riggs High School and encourages her students to apply their skills in practical settings through catering events and community cooking classes.
LaKisha Jordan’s commitment to providing her students with real-world experiences has earned her the title of the 2024 ProStart State Educator of Excellence. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes the importance of sparking a passion for flavor exploration rather than just teaching recipes, which has helped her students develop valuable skills that will serve them well in their future careers in the culinary industry.
