Every school day, Principal Andrea Ciliberti and Assistant Principal Anne Marie Dolceamore '98 are focused on supporting students, guiding teachers, and building a vibrant school community. But after the final bell rings, another side of their creativity comes to life.
Andrea designs handcrafted charcuterie boards through BoardGeek, while Anne Marie creates custom desserts through Dolce's Desserts. Although their specialties are different, both discovered that their culinary businesses rely on the very STEM skills they encourage students to develop every day—problem-solving, precision, creativity, critical thinking, and entrepreneurship.
Their stories prove that STEM isn't limited to laboratories or engineering firms. Sometimes, it's served on a charcuterie board—or wrapped in chocolate.
One Lesson. Many Possibilities.
Although one designs charcuterie boards and the other creates handcrafted desserts, Andrea and Anne Marie share a common philosophy: meaningful learning begins with curiosity.
Through their businesses and their FLEX courses, students discover that STEM extends far beyond textbooks. Science explains how food transforms. Mathematics guides measurements and planning. Engineering influences structure and design. Creativity brings every project to life. Entrepreneurship turns passion into possibility.
Whether students pursue careers in healthcare, engineering, business, education, hospitality, or the culinary arts, both educators hope they recognize that STEM skills can open doors in ways they may never expect.
As Andrea puts it, "Creativity is built on knowledge, planning, and practice."
Anne Marie offers one final piece of advice: "If there's something you're interested in, try it. You never know what you're capable of until you do."
Beyond the Bell
For Andrea and Anne Marie, learning doesn't end when the final bell rings—and neither does STEM.
Andrea Ciliberti, Principal - Engineering the Perfect Board
Growing up in a large Italian family, Andrea watched her grandmother and great-grandmother transform cheeses, meats, breads, and fresh vegetables into colorful displays that brought people together. Long before charcuterie became popular, she viewed those family antipasti tables as works of art.
Today, that lifelong passion has grown into BoardGeek, her small business specializing in handcrafted charcuterie boards. To Andrea, every board is far more than an appetizer.
"It's an architectural experience," she says. "Every item has a place, and I'm constantly considering balance, structure, color, texture, and visual appeal while making sure flavors complement one another."
Creating each board requires far more than creativity. Mathematics determines portions, pricing, and planning. Science guides food safety, freshness, fermentation, and proper storage.
Running BoardGeek also requires budgeting, inventory management, scheduling, customer service, and marketing. Inspired by her business, Andrea created a FLEX course introducing students to the science, strategy, and artistry of charcuterie.
Rather than beginning with food, students first planned their boards using construction paper while learning about balance, color, portioning, food safety, and flavor pairings. Only after mastering those concepts did they begin working with real ingredients.
"The goal wasn't simply to make a beautiful board," Andrea says. "It was to show students that creativity is built on knowledge, planning, and practice."
If Andrea approaches charcuterie like an engineer, Anne Marie approaches baking like a scientist—proving that STEM can be found in every corner of the culinary world. .
Anne Marie Dolceamore ‘98, Assistant Principal
The Chemistry of Baking
Anne Marie has always believed that the best learning happens through curiosity and experimentation. Whether she's teaching algebra in the classroom or creating custom desserts in her kitchen, she approaches every challenge with patience, precision, and a willingness to keep improving.
Today, as Assistant Principal for Student Affairs, she oversees student life while continuing to teach freshman algebra, combining her love of mathematics with her passion for working with students.
Outside of school, another passion emerged.
What began as experimenting with hot chocolate bombs evolved into Dolce's Desserts, where she creates chocolate-covered treats, cupcakes, cake pops, cakecicles, and personalized desserts.
For Anne Marie, baking is chemistry in action.
"Chocolate has to be melted at specific temperatures. Ingredients have to be measured carefully, and certain desserts require precise timing and conditions to turn out correctly." Mathematics is equally important.
"I have to cut recipes in half or multiply them for larger orders, so fractions and measurements matter."
Just as valuable, she says, is learning through experimentation.
"I've failed many times, but every mistake helped me learn a better way to do something. That's really what STEM is all about—testing, adjusting, and improving."
Anne Marie shares those lessons through her own FLEX classes, where students learn to make cake pops and decorate cupcakes.
"They discover that patience matters," she says. "If they rush the process, things won't turn out the way they want."
Watching students surprise themselves has become one of her favorite parts of teaching.
"I've had students tell me, 'I could never do that,' and then prove themselves wrong."