Yaroslava Bovkun

Smiling student in chef's uniform giving a thumbs-up over a tray of wrapped food items in the Kingsborough culinary kitchen.

Yaroslava Bovkun in the Kingsborough Culinary Kitchen

Food (and English) For Thought!

Yaroslava Bovkun, a recent graduate of the Contextualized ESL/Food Handlers Program, enthusiastically describes how the course brought her closer to reaching her personal and professional goals.

I am sincerely appreciative and grateful to Kingsborough Community College and to the organizers and instructors, for the opportunity to participate in the Contextualized ESL / Food Handlers Program. I learned cooking and food safety skills while gaining a strong foundation for improving my English through lessons in grammar, writing, speaking and listening.

I am especially grateful to program coordinator, Sabina Krivenko, for her kindness and support. I thank Marina Khusid, the English instructor, for her expertise, professionalism, and individual attention to each student, which contributed to effective learning and created a friendly and engaging classroom atmosphere. The opportunity to learn to express my thoughts clearly through structured essay writing was instrumental to my success. Marina’s simple examples made complex material easier to understand and apply in a real-life environment, especially when conversing with native speakers of English.

Equally invaluable was the professional experience I gained working with Chef Alan Hirsch and College Lab Technicians, Veronica Walrond and Judith Soto. Together with these warm and inspiring people, I acquired cooking and safe food handling skills, prepared a variety of dishes, and learned about the food service industry. Their passion for their work inspired me, and as a result, I developed a love for cooking.

Another highlight of the program was meeting and becoming friends with many of my classmates. Learning about their cultures and experiences greatly enriched my life and left me with warm memories.

I highly recommend the ESL / Food Handlers Program to anyone who wants not only to improve their English, but also to gain professional skills and increase their employment opportunities.

About the Contextualized ESL/Food Handlers Program

Targeted to ESL learners, this federally-funded WIOA grant program focuses on helping students improve their English, learn cooking techniques and food preparation skills, and study for the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) and nationally-recognized ServSafe certifications, in preparation for careers in the food services industry. The program incorporates ServSafe and NYC DOHMH Food Handler certification practices, covering health and safety during hands-on food preparation.

To be eligible to enroll, applicants must be English language learners demonstrating an intermediate/advanced level of English language skills.

Among the benefits, this program (free to eligible applicants) prepares students to take the industry-recognized DOHMH and ServSafe certification exams, assists students with the development of a resume and interviewing skills, and provides counseling, referrals, and job placement services.

For more information or to register for the Fall 2026 semester, please call (718) 368-4870.