Flex Spotlight: Annika Kirtley

By: Brandon Chick, Contributing Writer

​Annika Kirtley, senior at Centralia High School, has worked at CoStar Catering located in Centralia, for eight months.

CoStar owners Lonnie and Dena Cox have owned and operated the catering business for almost seven years. 

Kirtley thanks her former teacher Jill Angell for highly recommending her for the job. Angell brought the opportunity to her attention which encouraged Kirtley to enroll in the FLEX program. She started working at CoStar in April 2021.  Kirtley says, “I am grateful for getting this job and the people I work with feel like a second family.”

Working at events that the company caters is Kirtley's favorite part of the job. She likes to work at weddings and she loves to decorate for events. Another thing Kirtley loves about working there is the leftover desserts from events. 

Thanks to this job Kirtley has gained many valuable skills. Some of the experiences Kirtley feels she has most obtained are: time management, multi-tasking, communicating with the public and food preparation. She feels these skills will better prepare her for her future.

Kirtley states that, “I love the people who work there. They are funny, the job is enjoyable and they treat me like family.” She will miss her work family as she plans to continue her education at Kansas State University this fall.  Kirltey plans to major in architecture.