As students walk into school every morning, they smell the aroma of coffee and hot chocolate coming from Café Chief A Latte. The Special Education Department helps run the show before first period to the end of second period. Students help make iced and hot coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and cappuccinos every morning.  

Ms. Lauren Holland has worked with these students in the coffee shop since she was hired in 2016. Holland is the head of the Special Education Department and assists the students while they work.  

“The coffee shop is completely run by the self-contained, special education students,” Holland said. “We have amazing peer facilitators that take our class as an elective, and they assist our students in any way possible to make our coffee shop a success.” 

Looking back at her time in high school, she remembers the coffee shop running as smoothly as it does now. Now, Holland gets to help the students every morning and keeps the shop running the way it does. 

               Junior Deymar Aguilara works at the coffee shop in the mornings. She has been working at the shop for two years. Her favorite part of working at Café Chief A Latte is making the drinks and working at the register.  

 Junior John Rothenberger also helps make drinks, work the register, and deliver drinks. He enjoys getting to make his own drink on Fridays. Rothenberger has been working at Café Chief A Latte since his freshman year. 

The students enjoy running the coffee shop, but it means more to Holland than just coffee cups and creamer.  

“The coffee shop is my favorite part of every morning because I get to see our students working on job skills and life skills,” Holland said. “They show great pride in working and love interacting with students and teachers. With the coffee shop being in the front of the school, I love that my students are the first faces some people see to start their day with a smile.” 

Holland and her students are not the only ones who get to work together at the shop. Students like sophomore Melina Torres act as peer facilitators. Peer facilitators spend time with the special education students and teachers during first and second period. They walk to classrooms taking orders and delivering drinks to teachers and students to start their mornings.  

Torres has helped the Special Education Department since sixth grade.  

“I just love getting to know them and meeting new people,” Torres said. “I started because it is such a great opportunity. You learn so much about how to treat others, and you make new friends.” 

Students and teachers can order a drink from the menu for only one or two dollars if they are in need of a pick-me-up or simply a warm smile from students like Aguilara and Rothenberger.