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From the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association
Wekiva High School won three awards in the annual Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association Educational Foundation (FRLAEF) Hospitality and Tourism Management Program (HTM) competition and the ProStart Culinary Team Competition across the state. The event was held from February 28 to March 2 at the Rosen Plaza Hotel. 400 high school students from more than 50 schools across Florida participated.
Wekiva finished third in the competition, second in the UCF Rosen School of Hospitality Competition, and fifth in the Waiter Relay.
This is the 23rd year of the ProStart competition and the 20th year of the HTM competition; Florida is the only state to host a statewide HTM project competition. The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA) CEO and board leadership were in attendance.
Throughout the weekend, ProStart students competed in categories such as cooking, management, serving centerpieces and the waiter relay. During the Salute to Excellence awards ceremony, students received awards based on their respective competition categories. Students have received scholarships from FRLAEF, The Culinary Institute of America, Virginia Culinary Institute, Florida Atlantic University, Florida International University, Johnson & Wales University, Keizer University, Nicholas State University, and the Rosen College of Hospitality Management at the University of Central Florida. The winner will advance to the National ProStart Invitational hosted by the National Restaurant Association. HTM students competed in categories such as Hotel Operations, Hotel Projects and Knowledge Bowl and received scholarships from the FRLA Education Foundation.
These events would not be possible without the support of global sponsors such as Keizer University, the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, UCF Rosen School of Hospitality and Universal Studios Orlando. Event sponsors include Disney Culinary Company, Ecolab, Florida Atlantic University and Florida International University.
“This year’s ProStart and HTM competitions showcase the dedication and skills of our outstanding hospitality students,” said Laura Rumer, director of the FRLA Educational Foundation. “It is inspiring to witness the fierce competition, collaborative teamwork and passionate school pride displayed by these students and their mentors. We are extremely grateful to everyone involved in the hospitality industry, including our esteemed judges and committed volunteers. We We are excited about the promising futures for these outstanding students and look forward to our winners representing Florida at the national competition in Washington, D.C. this spring.”
“As a top state in the tourism and hospitality industry, Florida is proud to remain a leader in high school hospitality education,” said Carol Dover, president and CEO of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA). “With the largest ProStart program in the nation and the unique advantage of being the only state to host a statewide HTM competition, we remain committed to educating the next generation of industry leaders. These competitions are an important investment in our students, who embody the future of our schools. “This is such a dynamic field. It is truly inspiring to witness their dedication and talent. Congratulations to these outstanding young people and their committed mentors whose unwavering dedication has shaped the path to success.”
23rd Annual Florida PROSTART Competition Winners:
champion
No. 1 Strawberry Crest High School (Dover): Coach Paul Bonanno
2nd Place Martin County High School (Stewart): Coach Shaun Southwick
3rd TIE Wekiva High School (Apopka): Coach Christopher Bates
3rd TIE St. Lucie West Centenary High School (Port St. Lucie): Instructor Christina Gedke-Balaschak
4th TIE Lyman High School (Longwood): Instructor Dane Brevoort
4th TIE Steinbrenner High School (Lutz): Instructor Cheryl White
No. 5 Southlake High School (Groveland): Instructor John Thunberg
Keizer University Cooking Competition
First place Strawberry Crest High School (Dover): Andrew Raab, Raegan Monroe, Rubicel Lopez, Jadira Ipanaque, Taylor Carlisle, coach Paul Bonanno
Second place, St. Lucie West Centenary High School (Port St. Lucie): Isaac Vasconcelos, Nathan Korb, Kaitlyn Owens, instructor Christina Gedke-Balaschak
Third place Martin County High School (Stewart): Michael De Cesare, Kalla Caves, Zachary Walker, Sarah Duda, Belle Quevedo, instructor Shaun Southwick
Fourth place JP Taravella High School (Coral Springs): K’xada Herbert, Lauren Sandell, Yojeved Navarro, Savanna Hurlbert, Austin Thompson, coach Scott Goodman
Olympia High School fifth place (Orlando): Luke Digiammarino, Sofia Galbis, Emma Pohlhammer, Katherine Garcia, instructor Michael Lit
UCF Rosen School of Hospitality Competition
First place Strawberry Crest High School (Dover): Katya King, Caleigh Ross, Sienna Smith, Faye Lee, Juliana Kelly, coach Paul Bonanno
Second place Wekiva High School (Apopka): America Castle, Mia Del Valle, Isaac Aristrud, Emma Gonzelez-Miguel, Emma Thomas, instructor Christopher Bates
Third place Martin County High School (Stuart) Victoria Garcia, Rosemary Hernandez, Guadalupe Torres-Escobar, Sienna Hartley, Jennifer Lopez, instructor Shaun Southwick
Fourth place Coral Springs High School (Coral Springs): Kayla Connell, Brady Porter, Cole Clapp, David Puello, Eric Wilson, instructor Aruna Lien
Osceola Elementary High School (Seminole) fifth place: Mackenzie Dunn, Kayla Dudinsky, Jessica Jamieson, Lily Schneidewind, instructor Chris Long
Universal Orlando Edible Center Competition
1st Place Ava Caldwell, Longwood Lyman High School (Instructor Dane Brevoort)
2nd Place Bryan Stoney, Martin County High School, Stewart (Coach Shaun Southwick)
Third Place Nicholas Leonardi, Fort Pierce Central High School, Fort Pierce (Instructor Jesse Strell)
Fourth Place Daisy Silva-Bautista, Strawberry Crest High School, Dover (Coach Paul Bonanno)
Fifth place Abigail Roth, St. Lucie West Centennial High School, Port St. Lucie (instructor Christina Gedke-Balaschak)
Waiter Relay Race
First place Steinbrenner High School (Lutz): Evan Cannon, Cameron DeLeon, Fiona Wang, instructor Cheryl White
Second place Southlake High School (Groveland): Ryder Eckert, Isabel Acensio, Evan Greblick, instructor John Thunberg
Third place Strawberry Crest High School (Dover): Marie Townsel, Katie Lynn Ben Said, Lizbeth Lopez-Bautista, coach Paul Bonanno
Fourth place Winter Springs High School (Winter Springs): Davon Jacobsen, Xionel Bembry, Sydney Hanson, instructor Adam Efland
Fifth place Wekiva High School (Apopka): Bertuni Cleonard, Armaan Welch, Jubal Castillo, instructor Christopher Bates
ProStart is a national high school vocational program that educates nearly 150,000 students in culinary arts and restaurant management skills. Florida’s ProStart program is the largest in the nation, with approximately 30,000 students enrolled each year. ProStart’s industry-driven curriculum provides real-world educational opportunities and sets high standards of excellence for the industry’s next generation of leaders. Each year, students compete at state and national levels to showcase the skills learned in the classroom kitchen.
20th Annual HTM Competition Winners:
champion
1st Place Stoneman Douglas High School (Parkland): Instructor Mitchell Albert
No. 2 Olympia High School (Orlando): Coach Christina Bryant
3rd Place Robert Morgan Education Center (Miami): Instructor Alina Hughes
Hotel operation competition
First place Stoneman Douglas High School (Parkland): Blake Backman, Macy Meis, Saya Greiner, Maddison Schapiro, instructor Mitchell Albert
Second place Seminole Virtual High School (Lake Mary): Lindsey Weber, Emiaj Jaime, Zachary Griffin, Alexavier Sanders, instructor Kimberly Pintok
Third place Gainesville High School (Gainesville): Emily Yanik, Sam Myers, Brittney Davis, instructor Dawn Bekaert
Hotel project competition
No. 1 Stoneman Douglas High School (Parkland): Blake Backman, Macy Meis, Saya Greiner, Maddison Schapiro; Coach Mitchell Abbott
Second place Olympia High School (Orlando): Isabel Miller, Aubrey Heaton, Mitley Seide, Ella Tran, coach Kristina Bryant
Third Place Seminole Virtual High School (Lake Mary): Lindsey Weber, Emiaj Jaime, Zachary Griffin, Alexavier Sanders, instructor Kimberly Pintok
Knowledge Bowl Competition
First place Stoneman Douglas High School (Parkland): Blake Backman, Macy Meis, Saya Greiner, Maddison Schapiro, instructor Mitchell Albert
Second place Gainesville High School (Gainesville): Emily Yanik, Sam Myers, Brittney Davis, instructor Dawn Bekaert
Third Place Robert Morgan Educational Center (Miami): Destinee Rodger, Julia Felipe-Careaga, Peyton McQueen, Samyra White; Coach Alina Hughes
The Hospitality and Tourism Management program (HTM) is a high school program that introduces the hospitality and tourism industry to 2,000 Florida students each year. HTM showcases the industry on a global scale with a strong focus on diversity. Best of all, the course is industry-driven, as evidenced by the presence of over 60 industry leaders serving as subject matter experts, ensuring that today’s course meets the needs of hospitality employers around the world. Each year, HTM students in Florida showcase the skills they learn in the classroom at state competitions.
For more information about ProStart, HTM or the FRLA Educational Foundation, please visit our website or contact Director Laura Rumer at LRumer@frla.org.
About the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association
The Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association (FRLA) is Florida’s premier not-for-profit hospitality industry trade association. FRLA was founded in 1946 as the Florida Restaurant Association and merged with the Florida Hotel and Motel Association in 2006. FRLA has more than 10,000 members, including independent hoteliers and restaurateurs, household name franchisees, theme parks and suppliers. The association’s mission is to protect, educate and promote Florida’s $111.7 billion hospitality industry, representing 1.3 million employees. FRLA is committed to safeguarding the needs of its members and providing legislative advocacy to ensure that its members’ voices are heard and their interests are protected. The association provides regulatory compliance and food safety training through SafeStaff® and FRLA subsidiary RCS Training. The FRLA Educational Foundation provides industry-developed career-building high school programs across the state.
Keywords
Wekiva High School,
Rosen Plaza Hotel,
Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association,
hospitality
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