Among those on campus who can cook, senior Ian Gerstner knows the most about flies and among those who know about flies, Ian knows the most about cooking. Between founding the Cooking Club in sophomore year and creating a business that sells fly traps, his interests are deeply rooted in his early experience working for his grandparent’s restaurant, Tia Gladys, and his determination to address practical challenges. 

Ian began cooking when he was younger as a way to adapt to his allergies which left him with limited options. Seeing other kids with brightly packaged Fruit Roll-Ups while he could only eat custom-made lunches sparked his curiosity for experimenting with different flavors.

“My love of cooking came from need,” Ian said. “My diet was restricted because I would break out in hives often, so when I was little, I would sneak into the spice cabinet and dump random spices into my food. It tasted horrendous, but I was always adding touches to my meals.”

Behind Cooking Club, working with knives or hot stoves, Ian manages the logistics of ordering the right ingredients and ensuring the students’ safety. Throughout the years, members have made apple strudel, Brazilian cheese bread and pizzas. Some of their bigger events included catering to Harker’s monthly Cake Day and providing pretzels during Teacher Appreciation Week for the community. 

“I try to gauge how advanced students are,” Ian said. “For example, if we have to do stuff that requires a stove, I try to adapt everything to be warmed up or done in the oven because that’s just a safety aspect. 90% is preparation and 10% is cooking.”

For Ian, cooking is not only a way to prepare meals, but also a tool with which people can connect and learn. While overseeing the Cooking Club, he notices how his friends bond over activities like twisting pretzels or peeling apples, affirming his belief that cooking fosters relationships.

“Food brings people together,” Ian said. “Cooking is one of the very few things in our world that can do that. No matter where you go, you will always see families sitting around a table eating food. It’s very powerful and I’m glad that my cooking club could be a part of that.”

Ian believes that the Cooking Club is a place to release the stress of studying and simply have a great time making food together. Since ingredients can always be adjusted, cooking is a very relaxing and forgiving activity, even when recipes are not followed exactly. When they the club had to prepare pretzels for Teacher Appreciation Week, the dough did not rise properly, but Ian led the rest of the club in using a steam bath to finish everything in time to serve them after school. Cooking Club co-president and close friend senior Victor Gong appreciates Ian’s fortitude for taking on the ambitious initiative.

“Baking the pretzels was a multi-day project,” Victor said. “We started by rolling the dough, letting it rest and then shaping it, salting it and baking it. To think of organizing these types of events, he really is the type of person that loves to give back to the community.”

His commitment to the club reflects his dedication to helping those around him. His willingness to lend a hand and support others has left a strong impression on both his peers and teachers. English teacher Beth Wahl, who observed Ian’s beliefs through his personal narrative, highlights this quality.

“He is really one of these people who truly believes in being of service to others,” Dr. Wahl said. “It’s unusual to have somebody who’s just that genuinely interested in helping other people, and I really admire him for that.”

Ian’s dedication to cooking extends into his entrepreneurship ventures. While working in his grandparents’ restaurant, Ian witnessed the issue of flies in a food setting first-hand. Rather than using existing fly traps which are unsuitable for restaurants due to their odor and FDA regulations, Ian created an odorless trap to solve this major problem in the restaurant industry. 

To test which ingredients would lure flies while having no odor, Ian built a testing site out of polyvinyl chloride pipes and netting to make his self-sustaining fly hatchery. After countless trials and errors, he successfully made a working product for his business, Pottr, and now provides traps for many restaurants including La Fondue, Aqui, The Venue and Tia Gladys.

“It wasn’t fun doing all that, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything because it’s taught me a lot,” Ian said. “It’s a lot of hard work, and it so far has paid off. Now I’m just taking my product and getting it everywhere I can.”

Close friend senior Tiana Salvi witnessed the launch of Ian’s business in sophomore year. Since then, she has seen how his hard work has not only shaped the company’s final product, but also himself. 

“Most inventors have the confidence and ability to take risks even when they’re navigating an unfamiliar environment,” Tiana said. “I’m sure it’s not just a one way street for Ian. Running that company has also helped him become more self-assured and increased his confidence.”

From Ian’s first time working with his grandparents in their restaurant to creating the club and giving back to his grandparents with a restaurant-friendly fly trap, Ian’s journey at Harker has come full circle. The next step in his path is to continue providing for his community one tasty meal at a time.

Ian’s club and business are a testament to his ability to balance passion with practicality, turning his experience cooking into both a community-building activity and a business venture. Whether he’s organizing the Cooking Club or developing an innovative fly trap for restaurants, Ian’s determination, creativity and resilience in problem-solving shine through.

“When I graduate, I hope that Cooking Club continues,” Ian said. “It is important to have students come to an environment where they can work together.  It’s a place where people can connect on a deeper level. It’s a pretty powerful thing about cooking, is that you’re able to forge really deep connections through something that’s fun to do. Collaboration is a big part of it.”