Culinary School

When Steven Talley's fire-department pager goes off at 2 a.m., 4 p.m. or 11:30 a.m., Talley never knows if the call is for a fire, a car crash or a rescue. It's a similar story for Ron Ferrell, who, at the sound of his pager, grabs his bicycle and rides three blocks to the Essington Fire Company. They, along with Eric Grant and hundreds of other volunteers, are firefighters in Delaware County. "It doesn't bother me when it's cold and I'm asleep, or if I'm in the middle of dinner," Talley said.

Nicola Shirley wants to be a cook. Well, cook may not be exactly the right word. The Germantown High School senior has set her sights a bit higher. "I want to be a chef," she emphasized in no uncertain terms. "I don't just want to cook. I want to learn the culinary arts. This is what distinguishes cooks from great chefs. " Quite an interesting view from one so young. And just how does this 18- year-old with the self-designed challenge intend to accomplish this? "Lots of hard work," she explained.