Students from TCD to compete in culinary contest later this month
To stay in top form for competition, a group of local high school students are tasting meats and sampling pastries.
The diet makes sense, though, since they're practicing for a cook-off.
Right now, the 10 students from the Culinary, Pastry Arts and Hospitality program at Technology Center of DuPage in Addison are training hard for the national ProStart competition later this month in San Diego.
To qualify for the event, the high school seniors took first place last fall at the Illinois ProStart Invitational, and each team member received $24,000 in scholarships.
But on April 24, they will travel to California in hopes of winning more college money and smoking the competition.
In order to win, the culinary team must prepare a three-course menu in 60 minutes that takes top honors.
The team members are Bailey Mitchell of Warrenville, Dereck Surges of Itasca, Kevin Larsen of Bensenville, Paul Ondracek of Downers Grove and alternate Brian Woolsey of Westmont.
Meanwhile, the management team will compete in a quiz bowl and show off their skills in business scenarios created by instructors and business partners.
Members of that team are Jennifer Tran of Westmont, Mallory Hinz of Lombard, Rebecca Nell of Brookfield, Stuart McLuckie of Wheaton and Kaitlin Koegel of Woodridge
The ProStart contest is a high school and post-secondary foodservice curriculum developed through the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation.
The 10 students entered in the national competition take classes at the Technology Center of DuPage as part of their elective high school curriculum.