Small steps, big dreams

Seventeen-year-old Julia Sandberg has always been drawn to the kitchen. She taught herself to cook at home but, through an apprenticeship at the Watershed Cafe, has expanded her skill set.

Carter Rasmuson, another apprentice at the popular Osceola restaurant, jokes that he’d been working with his parents since age 12 and finally decided to get credit for it. The joke works best if you know that his parents, Rita and Steve Rasmuson, were restaurant industry veterans even before they opened the Watershed in 2014.

Sandberg and Rasmuson, both 17 years old and seniors at Osceola High School, work at the cafe through the school’s Youth Apprenticeship Program. The elective program gives students a chance to explore a potential career path while earning credit toward graduation, and seems to be reaching new heights under the guidance of Osceola High School teacher Amy Krenz. 

“The ideal dream is to connect students to a career path and local employers so they can try it out and get valuable experience,” Krenz explained. “It’s trying to bridge the gap between school and the working world and make the transition a little more seamless.”

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