(Anthony Ocampo, Matthew Perez and Emily Espitia from Miami Lakes Educational Center hold their winning handheld item)
The FRLA Educational Foundation and UCF Rosen College have announced Miami Lakes Educational Center as the winner of the 2nd Annual Universal Orlando Handheld Food Competition. The Handheld Competition provides an opportunity for Florida ProStart students to put their skills to the test by creating a seasonal handheld item they would like to see featured in a Universal Orlando theme park. The competition was held at the UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management and the awards were presented at Universal Orlando on February 6, 2024.
This year, 10 Florida ProStart High Schools competed in the competition with three schools advancing to the third and final round. Keystone Heights High, Miami Lakes Educational Center, and Ridgeview High competed in the final round for first place. The winning handheld created by Miami Lakes Educational Center consisted of a Plantain Bun, Cuban Inspired Beef and Pork Patty, Crisp and Chewy Fried Cheese, Central American Slaw, and a Special Sauce.
As the winner of the competition, Miami Lakes Educational Center received $2,500 from Universal Orlando towards the school’s ProStart Program and the winning handheld item will soon be featured at a Universal Orlando location. UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Scholarships were also awarded in the amounts of $1,000 to the first place team and $500 to the second and third place teams.
For more information on this competition or to learn more about Florida ProStart opportunities through the FRLA Educational Foundation, please visit https://frla.org/educational-foundation/.
Outstanding work! Congratulations to these well-deserving students!
