Javon Johnson – a current senior – has a Strnad fellowship to design his own cookbook, which will consist of around twenty-five to thirty original recipes. The theme of Javon’s cookbook is to display easy recipes of different cuisine styles that he designed to act as a gateway to attract beginners to cooking.

The Strnad program was created by Mr. And Mrs. James Strnad in 1968 to allow students interested in S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) to pursue particular areas of interest through their own independent research. Juniors and seniors who applied and were accepted design either a one-year or two-year project, answering a question revolving around the student’s particular area of interest. The program also supports full year, unpaid internships from the summer of a student’s junior year through their senior year. Internship opportunities have been available from places ranging from Case Western Reserve University to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.

Javon Johnson’s Strnad project revolves around the creation of various original, recipes. “I am creating about 25 to 30 recipes, and I am writing and publishing them. As most people know, I have a big interest in cooking,” says Javon Johnson. Furthermore, he describes his recipes by stating that, “All of my recipes are easier recipes that most people can do, but they pack a lot of flavor to them. I will try to make the recipes from different cuisine styles like Chinese, Italian, and stuff like that. Recipes trying to get your foot into multiple doors. When people are new to cooking they just want to try stuff out.”

However, cooking is not something new to Javon. “As most people know, I have a big interest in cooking. I’ve just always had a genuine interest in cooking. I don’t know how to explain much more than that. It just strengthened over time.” Javon’s Strnad is his first step towards achieving his dream of owning a restaurant. Please email [email protected] or talk to Javon in person if you are interesting in getting his book when he finishes it, and also make sure to check out the culinary club if cooking is something that interests you. And even if you don’t have as strong a passion for cooking like Javon’s, remember: “Cooking is nice. You get to make food and eat it. I like eating. I mean, everyone likes eating.”