ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – There are very few stepping stones between the high school canteen and the white tablecloth tables of an upscale restaurant. That’s why, for the past four years, Cypress Street Station in Abilene has opened its doors to Winters ISD students and allowed them to put the professional skills they’ve learned to good use throughout the year.

“He not only teaches these kids how to interact with a professional at a dinner party,” restaurant owner Amanda O’Conner explained. “But it also gives them the opportunity to ask real-life questions and learn more about the career path they intend to follow.”

At its last meeting on Wednesday, 43 business professionals from across the big country sat down with 42 Winters students. At this meeting, they hosted a fake business lunch and answered questions about their career fields.

“When you go out and pursue your career; the more educated you are, the more confident you are when speaking. And it does so much for the confidence of these kids,” O’Connor said.

For four years, Winters has run an advanced English course in which students learn resume writing, interview skills, communication and listening skills, interpersonal skills, letter writing/ business memos, dressing for success, meal etiquette, application skills, research and public speaking. It all ends with the business lunch during the Cypress Street field trip.

“They get to put it into practice, in a real-world setting, where they’re sitting across from a professional and there are eyes on them – helps create a habit there and build that skill set “, Matthew Fraley, general manager of the restaurant- says Nowacek.

“I feel like we’re ahead of everyone else and we have that edge and that experience,” Winters senior Jon Busher said.