STARDOM

Daily Star drafts 2 San Miguel superstars

*Stacey Salazar and Kim Bergeron, along with the San Miguel pep squad,*
*flank our newest intern Enrique Sanchez.*

It isn’t televised nationwide like the NFL draft and there are no signing bonuses, but participants in San Miguel High School’s Draft Day came away feeling like a million bucks—and the Daily Star came away with two blue-chip interns for the 2019-20 school year.

Valeria Rascon, a junior at San Miguel, and Freshman Enrique Sanchez began their work here the week of July 29. For Valeria, it’s a 3-peat, her third year as a Daily Star intern.

Students in the internship program are assigned to area companies to learn the ropes handling office tasks. Student assignments are announced in an all-school assembly. To give the program a little glitz this year, school officials decided to model the assembly after the NFL’s glamorous annual draft, complete with dramatic announcements and cheering.

Kim Bergeron, marketing, and Stacey Salazar, business office, represented the Star on stage at the July 19 event. They will mentor the interns throughout the students’ stay here.

“Draft Day was awesome from beginning to end,” Stacey said afterward. “They had valet parking and student escorts for the business partners. KVOA’s Paul Cicala, the emcee, had everyone hyped up. One by one, students were introduced as draft picks , and their families were there to cheer them on.”

This is the San Miguel program’s 15^th year. The Daily Star has been a part of it from the beginning.

Returning San Miguel intern Valeria Rascon

Valeria Rascon, a junior at San Miguel, and Freshman Enrique Sanchez began their work here the week of July 29. For Valeria, it’s a 3-peat, her third year as a Daily Star intern.

Kim Bergeron, marketing, and Stacey Salazar, business office, represented the Star on stage at the July 19 event. They will mentor the interns throughout the students’ stay here.

This is the San Miguel program’s 15^th year. The Daily Star has been a part of it from the beginning.

Chef Chic conquers octopus to make Iron Chef history

Here’s a bump of the oven mitt to Chef Wendy Gauthier, whose Chef Chic team rules our cafeteria. Last month Wendy became the first woman to win Iron Chef Tucson, taking top honors at the June 29 event. At her side that day were her all-female Chef Chic team, Lizzy Peraza and Stacy Vernooy.

Wendy beat Maynard’s chef and defending 2018 Iron Chef Champion Brian Smith. Chef Wendy has entered the iron chef competition for the last six years, but this was the first year she made it to the final round. The cookoff was held at Casino del Sol in front of an audience of 700 spectators.

Iron Chef judges Ryan Clark, Alan Zeman and John Fina, who provided commentary for the audience on what they saw the chefs doing, scored the dishes based on creativity, use of a secret ingredient, presentation and following the rules of the competition.

The secret ingredient was octopus, and once it was revealed each chef had one hour to make four dishes using the secret ingredient and one dish using Stella Artois beer. Wendy even used octopus in her dessert—a beer crepe featuring octopus apple bacon compote with brie cream sauce and beer reduction.

Another of her dishes drew raves from the judges: lettuce soup with prickly pear caramelized onions and octopus tentacles.

In addition to whipping up great breakfasts and lunches for Star employees, Chef Chic is a personalized, prepared meal delivery and boutique catering company serving Tucson and surrounding areas. Wendy and her staff offer personalized meals delivered right to consumers’ fridge based on any dietary needs/preferences. At the core of their services, they want to make you say WOW before your first bite, according to Wendy. They can also successfully help clients face new or ongoing dietary restrictions without fear of losing flavorful, delicious food.

August Submitted Photos

Missy first started at the Arizona Daily star in 1999 as a Graphic Designer and has many hobbies including traditional and digital painting, welding, archery, crochet, sculpting, sewing, piano, guitar and jazz singing.

If you would like us to feature your photos, please email ddurham@tucson.com

10 quotes from Jennie Silvas

If you think that no job at the Arizona Daily Star is a matter of life and death, consider Jennie Silvas’. Jennie has been with the Star’s Classified Ad team for 27 years, the last 15 on the Obituary Desk. The Tucson native is the youngest of 7 children in her family—and, she says, probably the most “mellow.” Her calm mojo helps Tucsonans through some of the toughest times in their lives. Here are her thoughts about the job:

I was scared when I first started this job—especially when I had to call a family and read back the obituary.
Different people take loss different ways. Some are still angry, and they want to yell at someone. Some just want to cry.
The complicated part of my job is adjusting to each need efficiently but compassionately.
Most families place obituaries through our online form, but some prefer to come to the Star in person to talk through it with me.
One mom comes in every year to place the In Memoriam for her daughter who died more than 15 years ago. Now she’s like a friend.
The most difficult obituary I ever handled? My brother’s. I didn’t want anyone else to do it.
Why do people place obituaries? To keep a memory alive, I think. And it’s part of the healing process.
I’ve learned this from my job: Don’t ever—ever—take life for granted. Live every day the best way you know how.
I don’t take the job home with me, but I admit I did at first. All I could see was the risk of living. I didn’t want my son to ride his bike or cross the street. I’m a lot easier on my daughter, who is 11.
I love my job. I would be very happy doing it the rest of my career.