The Tufts University Web site proclaims proudly that the university prepares students for "a wide range of professions."
But this career education might be broader than you think: Take a closer look around the next time you stop for a meal at one of the dining halls.
In fact, Tufts University Dining Services is helping out high school students from Malden and Somerville High Schools to prepare for careers in the culinary arts.
Working at Carmichael Dining Hall "made me realize that I do fit into this type of environment," said Kristin Cusack, a senior from Somerville High School's culinary program. "It didn't scare me away."
Cusack and her classmate Amanda Spencer work in Carmichael part-time five days a week as Tufts Dining interns. They have rotated around the dining room over the semester, cooking up stir-fry, working the grill, and preparing recipes.
"They'll understand what a working kitchen really is," Carmichael Chef Manager Peter Kourafalos said. "This is a very good stomping ground because you get exposure to different types of food."
He also emphasized the significant training the interns receive on sanitation and safety. "We basically try to embed it in their brains," he said.
Both were recommended to the position by a culinary teacher at Somerville high school, they said.
Kourafalos said that Tufts Dining Services has a partner relationship with the Somerville High School culinary program.
The teacher "thought it would be a great idea to go somewhere where we didn't know anyone," Spencer said, as she and Cusack are both hoping to make cooking into a career.
Meanwhile, down at Dewick, Malden High School junior Joe Wilhardt has also been receiving practical cooking experience for the past few months, but is officially an employee, not an intern. He also does not have the in-school cooking education that Cusack and Spencer received.
"I just have always loved to cook... [but] Malden doesn't have anything ... culinary," he said. "Unfortunately the cards didn't fall in my favor."
Wilhardt works at Tufts three to four days a week, between four and nine hours day. "I've learned how to prepare the food [and] the technical terms," he said. I'm just "messing around with everything in here."
Like Cusack and Spencer, he said he has handled the grill, worked with ingredients, prepared dishes, and learned about safety and sanitation during his time here. "I bounce around," he said.
Dewick First Cook Richard Morgan tries to help Wilhardt work on preparing different recipes on the weekends when time allows, Morgan said. But interns and younger employees "have to ask questions if they want to learn," he said.
Morgan, who himself worked for Tufts Dining as a high school student 33 years ago, said that the internship program originally differentiated itself from the employment of high school students.
Interns were intended to lend an extra hand to Tufts employees at different stations, while part-time employees would be independent staff members.
But things sometimes play out differently, as Morgan said he needed to use an intern working at Dewick in September to fill empty stations, rather than to assist other employees.
That student intern left, leaving Dewick with no interns, two high school workers and sometimes understaffed, Morgan said.
Carmichael has two interns and 14 high school student workers, Assistant Director of Dining Operations George Cangiano said.
Spencer and Cusack, who started in October and will work into the spring semester, are paid regularly while they earn school credit and learn about professional cooking.
Spencer said she felt intimidated at first, but has gotten used to the new fast-paced surrounding.
"Just like [at the] stir fry stations you're intimidated," she said. "But as soon as you start doing it you don't notice how many people are coming and going."
These are my "first baby steps into the real world," said Cusack. Both she and Spencer want to attend culinary school, and Cusack thinks she eventually wants to work as a chef.
"Most people want to own a restaurant, but to me that's too much responsibility," she said.
But it may not be too much for Wildhardt, who eventually wants to reach that pinnacle.
He first hopes to enroll in Johnson and Wales University's culinary program, and sees himself coming back to work for Tufts Dining afterwards.
"I want to one day own my own restaurant ... A steakhouse maybe." he said. "My family's Italian ... surprisingly, I'm not big on pasta."
