Cooking up some life skills

“If somebody offers you an amazing opportunity but you are not sure you can do it, say yes – then learn how to do it later.”

Richard Branson

Opportunities come in many shapes and forms. If somebody offered a commercial hot dog cooker and stand, what would you do with it? Maybe use it once or twice on the back porch and then forget about it.

But when teacher Ryan Durkin, of Wimberley High School, was presented with an opportunity, he and other members of the community found a way to take advantage. What about using the donated hot dog steamer to teach life and job skills to his special needs students?

Durkin teaches occupational investigation and preparation in the Special Education Department as well as the 18 year old and over program. He also coordinates and coaches Wimberley Special Olympics.

“The 18-year-old-plus students, after graduation, are taught job skills and building resumes, more occupational (based), and not academic. We would also visit job sites and network before Covid.”

Jasper Perkins-Smith is one of the students in the WISD program. He has learned all about farming and taking responsibility for raising vegetables, chickens and quail. He has also learned skills such as making his own bed and meals. All this takes place at the now named Scudder Farms.

Willy Pelczar, owner of the building where the pie company use to be located, was looking to help someone by donating a hot dog steamer.

“When Mr. Pelczar donated the hot dog steamer, it really inspired the rest of this idea,” Durkin said.

Jasper’s mother Mickey Perkins bought a small school bus with the intent to turning it into a food truck. One of the goals of the food truck will be to employ former Special Needs students.

Wimberley High School Career and Technical Education Teacher Jason Giessen was brought in on the project to help get the bus converted to a food truck.

And the hot dog steamer that inspired it all? That will be used in the Life Skills and 18-plus classes as a training tool to help prep students for the next step.

If the project comes to fruition it will be a way for Jasper and other students to get hands on training and maybe even turn a profit in the process. That is an opportunity that is hard to pass up.

According to the Wimberley ISD website, “Our goal is to ensure that all students with disabilities ages three to 21, as well as children with auditory or visual impairments age birth to two, have access to a free, appropriate public education… These can include difficulties with social interactions, playing, talking, seeing, hearing, behavior and movement. This service is available to infants, children and youth beginning at birth to age 21."