Michael Garcia

My name is Michael Garcia, and I am the culinary instructor at Argonaut High School. I have lived in Amador County for close to 25 years and attended Argonaut from 2005-2008 before getting my diploma from Independence High. I have been working in kitchens since I was 14 years old when I got my first job at KFC in Jackson. While I have worked in a few other industries, I was always drawn back to hospitality. I have 15 years of restaurant industry experience, 10 of which were spent at Jackson Rancheria with various job titles, from cook to restaurant chef. I was selected in 2018 by the Jackson Rancheria Band of Miwuk Indians to partake in their inaugural apprenticeship program through a partnership with Amador College Connect and Columbia College. I was the only one of six to complete the program and be awarded my journeyman’s card in Hospitality Management. I have been teaching at Argonaut since 2022 and can honestly say it is amazing. I have been shown nothing but respect and support since I started and have done my best to show all of the students in the culinary program the ins and outs of working in a professional kitchen. I enjoy sharing my experiences with them, both successes as well as failures. We even fed the entire school a Thanksgiving lunch only one month into my being the culinary teacher. All in all, this has been one of, if not the most, rewarding jobs I have ever been given the opportunity to pursue.