KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The University of Tennessee campus was bustling with life Wednesday. Students were back in class, gameday was around the corner, and the sounds of Tennessee pride filled the streets.
However, even though the noise, nobody could miss Katie Erwin's laugh. Her joy rippled down the hallways of the Jesse Harris Building, all the way from the building's kitchen.
She was a student in the first-ever Tennessee Believes Kitchen, which was started through a generous grant by the Tennessee Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (TN DIDD).
The grant gave the UT FUTURE program more than $130,000 to start up a kitchen program. The goal is to teach students with disabilities skills for independent living, help them learn about culinary careers and other jobs, and enrichment.
Katie said she's never done anything quite like it.
"This is my first time doing a cooking class, ever," she said. "I got to learn to cook a lot of good foods."
Through all of the classes, her favorite dishes were stir-fry and chocolate chip cookies. The cookies, most definitely, rank as number one.
Macey Pierce is a mentor with the UT FUTURE Program. FUTURE is a comprehensive program that helps young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities make a successful transition from high school to adult life.
She said the program focuses on what people "can do rather than what they 'cannot do.'"
"Ableism is the societal expectation that if you are disabled, you are somehow incapable of living your life to the best of your ability. People with disabilities are often not thought of as people capable of making their own choices. And that's just not true," Pierce said.
In the Tennessee Believes Kitchen, students are encouraged to complete the recipe all on their own. Chef Roberts, Macey and other helpers are able to step in to redirect if necessary.
"They get a lot of independence from coming here and they may not get that a lot. And so being here for them is it was really exciting," Chef Roberts said.
Macey agreed. She said she's seen encouraging results in every student.
"It's just so exhilarating seeing them grow," Macey said.
Katie said the class reminded her a lot of a game she used to play called "Cooking Mama." Except now, she's doing it all with her own hands. She said she had Chef Roberts to thank.
"He is so awesome. And the coolest part is that we are friends," Katie said.
Chef Roberts confirmed that the two are indeed close pals, all thanks to the Tennessee Believes Kitchen. The next session of the Tennessee Believes Kitchen starts September 6 and registration closes September 1.