The program is designed to open doors to new opportunities for students who are also incarcerated at the Orange County Correctional Center. Each graduate carries a different story of how they arrived there.
"Drug charges. Getting involved in things I shouldn't have been involved in at a very young age," said graduate Lincoln Williams.
Many of the graduates wore chef coats and hats as they received their culinary certifications, but 23-year-old Williams wore a cap and gown because in addition to completing the program, he earned his GED.
"Coming from where I came from and having the mindset I had for such a long time, the amount of achievements I've stacked in the last 3 to 4 years of my life surpassed the expectations I had for myself and the expectations people had for me," Williams said.
This semester, eight students graduated from Durham Tech's prison education culinary arts program.
Staff say the training gives students skills that can translate directly into jobs in the food service industry, which are opportunities they hope will help reduce recidivism.
"From boiling water to how to create a full recipe and cook that into a meal," said Leslie King with the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction.
"Within hospitality, they are almost guaranteed to get a position. They can start entry level and work their way up. They aren't struggling looking for jobs. They're able to be successful," said Ranita Bullock, director of Culinary Arts & Hospitality Management at Durham Technical Community College.
As part of their final exam, students also prepared a graduation feast, but under strict facility rules, they were not allowed to use knives, relying instead on bench scrapers.
Former graduates say the work carries a sense of pride.
"You know how to fix a dish and somebody puts it in their mouth and you see that 'umph, umph' look in their eyes," said former program graduate Winifred Reid.
Family members of graduates attended the ceremony, many seeing their loved ones reach this milestone firsthand.
Williams' family was not able to travel from Atlanta, but he says he's motivated by what comes next.
"I try to humble myself to the point where even though my people may not be here for this, I can only imagine the greater and bigger things they will be there for when I get home," he said.
Durham Tech says since the partnership with the Orange County Correctional Center launched in fall 2024, there have been 36 graduates.
For many, the program represents more than a certification. It represents a new direction.
As one speaker told graduates: "Your attitude determines your altitude."