Whiz Kid: Erin Cain

Erin Cain’s sweet tooth is a bit different than most people.

Cain is finishing up her senior year at Abington High School. The Willow Grove resident is benefiting from her time at , a public school offering specialized programs to help students get a head start on their careers. 

Cain had taken an interest in culinary arts, and after working at Bredenbeck’s Bakery and Ice Cream Parlor in Chestnut Hill, she is hoping to pursue a career in cake decorating.

“It just fascinated me watching some of the decorators ice the cakes and decorate the cakes,” Cain said. “It made me want to try it. Once I started at Eastern, it made me love it more, so I wanted to get into the industry.”

Cain’s hard work at Abington and Eastern has earned her a unique honor. Cain recently received the Christopher Laroche Memorial Award, which is given in memory of Laroche, a 2001 Culinary Arts graduate from Eastern and Abington High School.

Laroche was killed in an automobile accident in 2008, and his family created the award for one Eastern culinary arts or electrical technology student. The award is chosen by the Laroche family and is given to a person who shows kindness and helpfulness toward others.

“It’s really special to me that they considered me for the award,” said Cain. “It will help me for college. It’s a good opportunity, and [I thank] the family for giving me the opportunity to receive the award.”

Cain’s hard work is paying off as she prepares for the next chapter in her life.  She has been able to get a head start on her career while remaining at the top of her class. 

Cain received straight A’s throughout the school year and is a member of the National Honor Society. She is also a member of the Sea Scouts and the Girl Scouts. Cain’s ability to manage her time successfully is paying off as she prepares for college.

“It was easy to balance it,” said Cain. “I had a shorter amount of time at Abington, so I didn’t have as many classes to worry about as far as schoolwork.  I only have three major classes to work on with school.”

Cain first heard about Eastern through her guidance counselor at Abington.  Cain’s schedule at Eastern allows her to take care of her schoolwork and her extracurricular activities. And she had the opportunity to get a taste of her chosen profession with a host of special events.

“Eastern gave us the opportunity to do night events for culinary,” Cain said.  “People came in and paid money for the food that we made. It made it easier on me, and it was fun.”

Cain will attend Johnson and Wales University in Rhode Island for baking and pastry arts. The school has a strong reputation in both the United States and the rest of the world.

“It’s one of the top culinary schools in the world,” said Cain. “They have students that come from all over the world to go there. They have a big diversity of people there. I heard through Eastern that they had a really good culinary program, so I went to visit. They really showed me what they had to offer, which made me really want to go there.”

Cain already has a host of ideas as to where she would like to work when her days at Johnson and Wales come to a close. With a strong work ethic and the help of her hands-on training at Eastern, Cain is looking forward to her future.

“I really like the cake-decorating aspect,” Cain said. “I really want to get into the industry and find out what best fits me. I really am looking into doing cake decorating and working in either a bakery or a restaurant or a hotel.”