WHS Culinary Arts
Who We Are
The Westfield High School Culinary Arts program, part of Family and Consumer Sciences within Career and Technical Education, offers courses in fundamentals, baking and pastry, global cuisine, nutrition, tourism, and event planning. Students are dual enrolled with Ivy Tech, with the opportunity to graduate with a Culinary Arts certificate, while also participating in the National Restaurant Association’s ProStart and ServSafe Manager certification programs. In 2017, the program launched Foodies Rock, a student-run food service business operated by Culinary Arts and FCCLA students to provide real-world experience. Through Foodies Rock, students gain hands-on training in cooking, customer service, event planning, costing, and food safety while helping fund program needs such as equipment, competitions, and certifications—all while delivering high-quality service to the Indianapolis community.
Instuctures
Meet Westfield's amazing group of Culinary Arts teachers
Chef Heflin
Chef Nicole (Nikki) Heflin is the founder of the Westfield High School Culinary Arts and Family and Consumer Sciences program, which now serves nearly 2,000 students annually. She holds degrees from Purdue University in Hospitality Management, Sales Management, and Family and Consumer Sciences Education, as well as a Master’s in Career and Technical Education from Ball State University. With a career that began in the hospitality industry as a teenager, Chef Heflin brings extensive real-world experience to her role, where she leads FCCLA, coaches the student-run business Foodies Rock, and founded the Rocks Produce Project to promote sustainability. She also serves as an adjunct professor at Ivy Tech Community College and has earned numerous honors, including AAFCS National Teacher of the Year and ACF Culinary Educator of the Year, for her leadership and impact in career and technical education.
Chef Duda
Catherine Duda is a Family and Consumer Sciences teacher at Westfield High School, where she has been teaching since 2022 after beginning her career at Plainfield Community Consolidated School District 202. She holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Family and Consumer Sciences from Illinois State University and an Associate of Science in Culinary Arts/Chef Training from Joliet Junior College. With a strong background in both education and culinary arts, Catherine brings hands-on industry knowledge into the classroom and has been recognized for her impact as an educator with the prestigious Golden Apple Award
