Nineteen-year-old Andrew Hershey knows what he wants in his future and is taking steps to get it.

Hershey, a fourth-term student at the Pennsylvania School of Culinary Arts and a graduate of Lampeter-Strasburg High School, has his sights set on securing an externship at the White House.

Recently, Hershey was given the opportunity to shadow executive chef Barry Crumlich at the Governor's Residence in Harrisburg and got a taste for cooking for a first family.

Crumlich says that gaining this kind of hands-on experience is invaluable for Hershey. They recently prepared an appreciation dinner for the docents who help throughout the year.

"This gives him a view of what the industry for personal chefs on this level is like," Crumlich says. "It shows him that our first priority is the family and their guests."

Crumlich, who feeds the state's first family with as much locally grown produce as possible, was preparing a meal of light appetizer fare and soup for the 70 guests expected later that day at the 3 p.m. event.

"We like to try to keep the revenue in our state," Crumlich says. "We also have a 120-foot strip garden here at the residence."

As Hershey lent his hand at making more than 200 mini beef Wellington appetizers — carefully filling the puff pastry with bits of beef tenderloin and piping in the puree of mushrooms and shallots — he spoke about why he wants to work in the White House kitchen.

"I just think it would be such an honor," Hershey says. "To cook for the president would be unimaginable."

Hershey, the son of Cheryl and Kenneth Hershey of Lampeter, has been cooking since he was 14 — learning on the job at Dutch Wonderland — and has embraced everything in the culinary world.

"I try to learn everything I can, from bartending to cooking," Hershey says. "It's all things that I will need to apply in the future of my career."

And the recent experience at the governor's residence is great to add to Hershey's resume, Crumlich says.

"He is really showing initiative and putting himself out there," Crumlich says. "That's what it takes to get places in our industry."

Crumlich, who attended Mount Joy Vo-Tech years ago, likes to share his experience and pulls from the nearby culinary arts school when preparing for events.

"I try to give back to the school and get involved with the students," Crumlich says. "Everyone needs to learn and needs that start."

Hershey, who manned the carving station for almost two hours during the governor's event, says that interacting with the guests and being in the atmosphere was more than he could have ever hoped.

Reflecting on his almost 10-hour shift, Hershey says that he became much more comfortable cooking in a kitchen of that level. The day began at 7 a.m. and didn't end until after 6 p.m., but Hershey was motivated the entire time and took in every minute.

'The day was just a blur," Hershey says. "It was way more than I expected it to be."

Hershey's next step is to prepare his externship packet, including this recent Governor's Residence experience.

"Then I just wait," Hershey says. "I hope to hear from them in a few weeks."
cesbenshade@lnpnews.com