Ever needed a morning pick-me-up at school? You’re in luck! In the Pulley Center, there is a student run cafe. The Brew-Tea-Ful cafe serves students Wednesday through Friday from 9AM to 11AM. On the menu you will find hot and iced drinks as well as a variety of desserts. 

The cafe is supervised by Pulley Center teachers Frankie Markson, Christina Byun, and Amtul Chaudhry. The cafe provides West Po with delicious drinks and desserts, but what else does it provide? The cafe gives Pulley Center students an opportunity to experience how life will be outside of school. “It gives them an opportunity for students to build a resume, so when they go out into the community, they hopefully will get a job,” Markson said. 

The Pulley Center provides students with an environment that helps benefit their learning. The baristas serving up the orders are Pulley Center students. With the help of a few teachers, the cafe has been serving West Po since 2017. Each student is assigned a role that helps the cafe run smoothly. These roles are catered towards students abilities and strengths. “I really just love seeing how happy the students get with their roles,” said Byun. Each barista works together to fulfill customers orders quickly and efficiently. 

Another valuable thing Pulley Center students get from working at the cafe is the student interaction. “My favorite part about the cafe is our students being able to be engaged with you guys [students] because that gives them an opportunity to express themselves and be accepted,” Markson said. The students get to feel engaged with the school community through the Brew-Tea-Ful cafe. “They’re taking ownership of their roles, but also having that social interaction with the public,” Byun added. 

With the revenue the cafe receives, it goes back into the Pulley Center. Funds raised are reinvested into the cafe’s program and the center, which contributes to the educational experience. “It is not just for us, it is for the whole Pulley,” Markson said. The most expensive item on the menu is a large drink for $3. The cafe appeals to many West Po students because the menu is fairly priced. “I go to the cafe because they have good food and drinks and it’s not too expensive,” freshman Olivia Suthar said.

The West Po community is very accepting of the Pulley Center students who run the cafe. The cafe provides students with a different and new way of learning which will positively affect how they deal with diversity. West Po students are patient with baristas. “I’ve never had a student from West Potomac be harsh with any advisors, they know this is student driven,” Markson said. “They accept others for where they are and where they can grow.”