The Idaho Potato Commission, along with the Center for the Advancement of Foodservice Education, selected Culinary Arts Instructor Monica Millburn to receive the 2026 Secondary Educator of the Year award. This honor recognizes an educator’s professional commitment to the educational community and foodservice industry.

Chef Millburn exemplifies what it means to be an outstanding educator; she is deeply committed to her students, highly skilled in her craft, and works tirelessly creating meaningful, real-world experiences for her students.

In her six years at Orem High School, Chef Millburn transformed the culinary program from a part-time position teaching three classes to teaching seven large production classes at full-time capacity. She accomplished this feat through building confidence in her students, providing regular lab experiences and creating engaging experiences. 

Not only has the program grown, but the program’s quality is also highly recognized. This year alone, 21 of her students qualified for the FCCLA National Leadership Conference, with 19 first-place state winners and 2 second-place state winners. Her ProStart culinary team earned first place in the state finals in 2025 and 2026. 

She is deeply committed to improving accessibility for multilingual stakeholders. She sought assistance in translation at the school level, coordinated guest presenters who spoke different languages, and hosted family cultural events at school. 

In an effort to connect her students to the culinary world beyond high school, for three years running, she has chaperoned her culinary students on an overnight hospitality tour of businesses in Park City and Northern Utah. 

Orem High School Principal Tamara Stuart said, “Monica teaches her students the value of service, professionalism, and impact. She helps her students see clear and exciting pathways in culinary arts and hospitality.”

The Secondary Educator of the Year award provided a $1,000 prize and commemorative plaque. Chef Millburn also received a complimentary registration to attend CAFÉ’s 2026 Leadership Conference, held this summer in Chicago.

Click here to go back to the 2026 CAFÉ award recipients list.