By Laurie Whittier
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

Wind Crest has become a hot spot for local high school teens—but don’t worry, they’re not making any trouble. They’re getting a leg up on their futures in the restaurant industry.

For the past year, 18-year-old Jacob Gaumer has been part of the team of around 100 area high school students who work after school and over breaks to create a quality dining experience for patrons of the Fireside Restaurant at Wind Crest. The Tribune recently caught up with this promising teen to learn what his experience at Wind Crest has been like, where he’s headed, and why he’s so popular among residents and Dining Services staff .

Born to bake
Gaumer, who recently graduated from Littleton High School, learned about Wind Crest when Wind Crest Staff Development Manager Carlie Thomas  visited his culinary class. “It sounded like a good opportunity for kids like me who want to get their foot in the door for a culinary career,” says Gaumer.

Looking back, Gaumer suspects he was born with a passion for culinary delights. “I remember sitting on my grandmother’s countertop stirring and mixing jellies, making bread, and helping her roll out pie dough,” he says. “I looked forward to spending weekends with her and baking for hours on end.”

Gaumer could have worked just about anywhere, but he chose Wind Crest so he could develop customer relations skills in a formal setting. “Since I plan on opening my own restaurant someday, I wanted to find out what’s important to customers and learn how to retain restaurant staff,” he says.

A bonding experience
“What really kept me here was the residents,” Gaumer says of Wind Crest. “They’re not like most restaurant customers who might make you feel bad if you don’t do something right. They’re very constructive, and I welcomed that as a chance to improve.”

And the residents did something else for Gaumer that he’ll never forget. “They encouraged me to go after my dreams and made me feel like I could do anything,” he says.