Genesee Valley BOCES places 3rd in culinary at NYSRA invitational
Press Release:
The New York State Restaurant Association (NYSRA) hosted its 21st annual ProStart Invitational at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park on March 7-8. This prestigious event provides students the opportunity to showcase the skills they've honed throughout their training and compete for a spot at the National ProStart Invitational in Baltimore.
The NYSRA ProStart Invitational is composed of three distinct competitions – team management, team culinary, and individual burger battle. Each event showcases the most important skills needed on both sides of the restaurant and food service industry.
The first-place winners for team culinary are students from Orleans Career & Technical Education Center in Medina, New York and students from Southwest Tech in Bennington, Vermont. The first-place winners for team management and hospitality are students from Rockland BOCES in West Nyack, New York and students from Southwest Tech in Bennington, Vermont. These four winning teams now have the chance to represent New York State and Vermont at the National ProStart Invitational, taking place May 2-4 in Baltimore, Maryland.
ProStart is a two-year, industry-backed culinary arts and restaurant management program for high school students. ProStart students learn how to be an industry professional through hands-on work under the direction of a mentor. Students also learn the importance of arriving on time prepared for work, teamwork, and accountability.
“We are incredibly proud of the achievements of our ProStart students this year. This event is something we look forward to hosting annually, giving students the opportunity to showcase the skills they've developed throughout the year, while having fun in some friendly competition. ProStart is a remarkable program that equips students with valuable industry skills, providing them with hands-on learning experiences. These students are the future of the restaurant industry. Congratulations to all of this year’s participants, and we wish you the best of luck for the rest of the school year,” said Melissa Fleischut, President and CEO of the New York State Restaurant Association.
“I appreciate how much real-world experience ProStart incorporates in the curriculum, and I know first-hand how important that is for the future of the hospitality industry. One of my favorite ways to engage the students is our food truck challenge. Every group gets to create a restaurant concept, create a menu and cost out that menu. By doing this project we cover many important topics in the ProStart curriculum. I am very grateful for the opportunity to teach ProStart. Like I said, being a student of ProStart I know the value in it. It’s really lifelong learning,” said Amanda Repko, CIA Grad, former ProStart Student, current ProStart educator and coach to multiple NY Invitational teams.
See below for the full list of competitors and winners:
New York:
Culinary winners
- 1st Place: Orleans Career & Technical Education Center (Medina, NY)
- 2nd Place: Questar III Donald R. Kline Technical School TEAM 2 (Hudson NY)
- 3rd Place: Genesee Valley BOCES (Batavia NY)
Management winners
- 1st Place: Rockland BOCES (West Nyack)
- 2nd Place: Questar III Donald R. Kline Technical School (Hudson NY)
Vermont:
Culinary winners
- 1st Place Culinary: Southwest Tech (Bennington, VT)
- 2nd Place C: River Bend Career & Technical Education Center TEAM 2 (Bradford, VT)
- 3rd Place C: River Bend Career & Technical Education Center TEAM 1 (Bradford, VT)
Management winners
- 1st Place: Southwest Tech (Bennington, VT)
- 2nd Place: River Bend Career & Technical Education Center (Bradford, VT)
Gourmet Burger Battle:
New York:
- 1st: Abigail Merwin-ONC BOCES Northern Catskills Occupational Center (Grand Gorge, NY)
- 2nd: Hailey Temple -ONC BOCES Northern Catskills Occupational Center (Grand Gorge, NY)
- 3rd: Jayden Thomas-The Academy Charter School (Uniondale, NY)
Vermont:
- 1st Place: Juan Lopez-River Valley Technical Center (Springfield, VT)