Senior graduates from Coshocton Christian School
Ruth-Anne Coates, 2016 graduate of the Coshocton Christian School, is pictured with Principal Stan Zurowski as he hands Ruth-Anne her high school diploma.
COSHOCTON – Ruth-Anne Coates has had a passion for cooking ever since she can remember. At just 10 years of age, her father taught her how to use a knife and slice tomatoes. On Friday, May 20, she took the next step in her journey to become a chef when she graduated from the Coshocton Christian School.
“I remember when she was 10, I smelled something coming from the basement, and I thought something was on fire,” said Dale Coates, Ruth-Anne’s dad. “But she was making a cake and it turned out beautifully.”
Ruth-Anne was part of the culinary arts program at the Coshocton County Career Center and studied with Mike Cichon. During her graduation ceremony, she was presented with the Julia Childs award.
“I never got upset with her when she made a mess in the kitchen,” said Deborah Coates, Ruth-Anne’s mom. “Sometimes it would take me two days to clean up the kitchen, but I always thought if I demanded a perfectly clean kitchen, I would stifle her creativity. Sometimes, my kitchen was messy, but that’s okay. That’s the way it should be.”
She also remembers cooking with her daughter during the Christmas holidays and Ruth-Anne making food with friends from her Bible Study. She said Ruth-Anne loves to experiment with food from different cultures and has made Japanese, Mexican, and French food.
“She loves any kind of cuisine,” said Deborah. “She’s a chef through and through.”
Ruth-Anne was always generous with her food and enjoys sharing it with others.
“I remember her getting up at 3 a.m. to make food for the staff and her classmates,” said Deborah. “She was always very generous and most of the time, she’d make enough for everybody.”
After the ceremony, friends and family were invited to enjoy refreshments that Ruth-Anne had made.
“This is my first time making a four-tiered cake, so that was super fun,” she said.
Ruth-Anne will be attending the York Technical Institute in Lancaster, Pennsylvania where she has enrolled in a one year pastry arts program which includes nine months in college and a three month externship.
“I tell people that I’m an adrenaline junkie,” she said. “I love the rush and the hard work.”
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