The aroma of vanilla fills the baking kitchen on Scott Northern Wake Campus as students use digital scales to precisely measure the ingredients they will use in that day's lesson. Chef Melissa Attanas jokes with them, almost shouting to be heard over the constant whir of fans from nearby range hoods.

"It's loud up here, so I hear only half of what I'm saying, and my brain kind of fills in the rest," Attanas says, apologizing in advance for any mistakes she might make in relaying information during her demonstration.

But like every TV chef from Julia Child to Ina Garten, Attanas then moves effortlessly through her lesson, showing students step by step how to blend their ingredients into a batter that will later be transformed into a French sponge cake known as a génoise.

Then it's the students' turn, and the Baking & Pastry Arts assistant professor walks among them as they try to replicate her demonstration and produce their own sponge cakes. In addition to observing and providing advice, she's quick to share a laugh and offer bits of inspiration.

"I like to provide a safe space for students," she said, adding that she dislikes many cooking shows because they create a "toxic atmosphere" in the kitchen. "I want them to be confident in what they're doing. I want them to look forward to coming to class."

Student Lindsay Wride appreciates that support, noting she came to Wake Tech specifically to study under Attanas, who was recommended to Wride by an instructor at another school.

"She always is there to help when you need it," Wride said. "I go home every day so happy to come back."

Student David Hope, who is considering baking for a second career after retiring as a software developer, says Attanas goes beyond the recipes to teach the science of cooking, which he says makes it easier to adjust to different situations on the fly.

"She cares about students and what it takes for them to be successful," Hope said.

Attanas has enjoyed cooking ever since her mother signed her up for a class when she was just 4 years old. "Food has been a big part of my family's life. It was central to any gathering," she said.

But she never considered making a career of it until one day in high school while she was making a meal with a friend. After that light-bulb moment, her parents did some research and found Wake Tech's Culinary Arts program, and she graduated with an Associate in Applied Science degree in 2003.

Attanas already had some experience working at a French restaurant in Rocky Mount in high school and then at Hayes Barton Cafe in Raleigh while attending Wake Tech. Her "big break" came in 2006, when she was hired as a pastry chef at the award-winning Magnolia Grill in Durham.

"A pastry chef is a luxury position for most restaurants, so you have to constantly justify your presence," she said. "But that also means pastry chefs have to have a wider range of skills and be able to pivot quickly from sweet to savory foods."

By 2010, she was burned out from restaurant work and joined Wake Tech's emerging Baking & Pastry Arts program as an adjunct professor while also working various jobs in the industry, such as a cake decorator at Whole Foods Market and a pastry chef for the executive building at SAS Institute.

At the time, she considered teaching as simply "a good break" from restaurants. But while working one of her other jobs, doing cooking demonstrations at housewares retailers Williams-Sonoma and Sur La Table, Attanas realized teaching others how to cook was her true passion. So, she switched from adjunct status to a full-time faculty member at Wake Tech in 2017.

Although she occasionally feels the tug to return to the fast-paced world of restaurant kitchens, she says she doesn't see herself going back and leaving the diversity and camaraderie she's found at Wake Tech.

"The students, my co-workers, everyone here is so innovative and creative," she said. "My world has widened so much because of the diversity of our students. We come from different cultures, but we connect through the language of food."