First Place Overall Winners from Strawberry Crest High School
Note for Media: Photos are available for individual schools and winning teams
ORLANDO – The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association Educational Foundation (FRLAEF) proudly announces the winners of the annual high school ProStart Culinary Team Competition.
Last weekend, more than 330 students from nearly 40 Florida high schools competed in Culinary, Management, Edible Centerpiece, and Waiter’s Relay events at the 25th annual ProStart event. At the Salute to Excellence Award ceremony, winners were offered more than $2.1 million in scholarships from the Culinary Institute of America, Culinary Institute of Virginia, Florida International University, Keiser University, Nicholls State University, and UCF’s Rosen College of Hospitality. First place teams in culinary and management will represent Florida at the national ProStart Invitational in Washington, D.C. this April.
“For more than 25 years, this competition has taken students beyond the classroom and into the real-world process of creating a restaurant concept from start to finish,” said Laura Rumer, Director of the FRLA Educational Foundation. “From market research and branding to financials, menu development, and marketing strategy, these teams demonstrate the kind of creativity, discipline, and professionalism our industry depends on. Each year, we are inspired by the depth of talent and the educators who help guide these students toward meaningful careers in hospitality.”
“These competitions are more than an event; they are an investment in the future of Florida’s hospitality industry,” said Carol Dover, President & CEO of FRLA. “By connecting students with real-world business challenges and industry mentors, we are building the next generation of culinary innovators, restaurant operators, and hospitality leaders. As our state’s economy continues to rely on a strong tourism and hospitality industry, programs like ProStart ensure that passionate, well-trained talent is ready to lead it forward. Florida is proud to host the largest ProStart program in the nation, and we look forward to cheering on these top winners at the national competition this spring.”
These events would not be possible without the support of our Global Sponsors: Keiser University, National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, UCF’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management, Universal Orlando, St. Thomas University, the World Equestrian Center, and Fresh From Florida. Event sponsors include Ecolab, Florida Atlantic University, Zwilling J.A. Henckels, and the Florida State University Dedman College of Hospitality.
25th ANNUAL FLORIDA PROSTART COMPETITION WINNERS:
OVERALL WINNERS
1st Place Strawberry Crest High School (Dover): Instructor Paul Bonanno
2nd Place St. Lucie West Centennial High School (Port St. Lucie): Instructor Christina Gedke-Balaschak
3rd Place Martin County High School (Stuart): Instructor Ashley Sesta
3rd Place Lyman High School (Longwood): Instructor Dane Brevoort
4th Place Wekiva High School (Apopka): Instructor Christopher Bates
5th Place George Jenkins High School (Lakeland): Instructor Sherry Scott
KEISER UNIVERSITY CULINARY COMPETITION
1st Place Strawberry Crest High School (Dover): Riley Clark, Brinley Miranda, Ethan Weisenritter, Jessie Andrew, and Samantha Chung, Instructor Paul Bonanno
2nd Place St. Lucie West Centennial High School (Port St. Lucie): Janiyah Henry, Brandon Benzer, Azzi Lemma, and Christopher Balladares, Instructor Christina Gedke-Balaschak
3rd Place Martin County High School (Stuart): Jimmy Baker, Alexandra Benoit, Barry Carson, Jacque Cruz, and Kindra Browning, Instructor Ashley Sesta
4th Place Ridgeview High School (Orange Park): Cole Alessi, Gavin Emile, Ricky Huang, and Colton Johnston, Instructor Amy LaPierre
5th Place JP Taravella High School (Coral Springs): Josselyn DeArmas, Kiana Lisboa, Meital Pavolotzky, and Chyanne VanWinkle, Instructor Scott Goodman
UCF ROSEN COLLEGE OF HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT COMPETITION
1st Place Strawberry Crest High School (Dover): Toby Highsmith, Macey Riley, Dayana Hernandez, Abigail Emin, and Pooja Gopinathrao, Instructor Paul Bonanno
2nd Place Wekiva High School (Apopka): Parker Masangkay, Zariah Edwards, and Amina Ali, Instructor Christopher Bates
3rd Place Martin County High School (Stuart): Sophia Garcia, Jennifer Sanchez, Zoey Krisel, Claire Richter, and Monica Sanchez, Instructor Ashley Sesta
4th Place Durant High School (Plant City): Kylie Byerwalters, Anna Sneed, Andrew Johnston, Kaitlyn Black, and Ethan Mettler, Instructor Ralph Underwood
5th Place South Lake High School (Groveland): Noelix Hernandez, Alicia Beepath, Bobby Alonso, Amani Cintron, and Leabelle Popovich, Instructor John Thunberg
UNIVERSAL ORLANDO EDIBLE CENTERPIECE COMPETITION
1st Place Denisse Sarria Tuero, St. Lucie West Centennial (Port St. Lucie), Instructor Christina Gedke-Balaschak
2nd Place London Hernandez, Lyman High School (Longwood), Instructor Dane Brevoort
3rd Place Mischa Davies, South Lake High School (Groveland), Instructor John Thunberg
4th Place Ester Avelar, Strawberry Crest High School (Dover), Instructor Paul Bonanno
5th Place Summer Hudson Moffett, Horizon High School (Winter Garden), Instructor Tiffany Rogers
WAITERS RELAY COMPETITION
1st Place George Jenkins High School (Lakeland): Reese Yungbluth, Jaidyn Lewis, and Colin Hanger, Instructor Sherry Scott
2nd Place MAST Academy (Key Biscayne): Sofia Guananja, Angelina Salvador, and Gretha Martinez, Instructor Eida Delafuente
3rd Place Winter Park High School (Winter Park): Aiden Whitely, Joshua Loomis, Tomasz Bello Hoffman, Instructor Christine Whitlow
4th Place Lyman High School (Longwood): Riely Morales, Santiago Rodriguez-Hurtado, and Julian Daube, Instructor Dane Brevoort
5th Place Ridgeview High School (Orange Park): Andreya Comer, Yuri Demeterio, and Kendall Cala, Instructor Amy LaPierre
ProStart is a nationwide high school career program educating nearly 222,000 students in culinary arts and restaurant management skills. Florida’s ProStart program is the largest in the nation with approximately 30,000 students enrolled annually. ProStart’s industry-driven curriculum provides real-world educational opportunities and sets a high standard of excellence for the industry’s next generation of leaders. Yearly, students compete on state and nation-wide levels to showcase skills learnt in their classroom kitchens.
For more information about ProStart or FRLA’s Educational Foundation, visit our webpage or contact Director Laura Rumer at [email protected].
About the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association
The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA) is Florida’s premier non-profit hospitality industry trade association. Founded in 1946 as the Florida Restaurant Association, FRLA merged with the Florida Hotel and Motel Association in 2006. FRLA’s more than 10,000 members include independent hoteliers and restaurateurs, household name franchises, theme parks, and suppliers. The association’s mission is to protect, educate, and promote Florida’s $111.7 billion hospitality industry which represents nearly two million employees. Dedicated to safeguarding the needs of its membership, FRLA provides legislative advocacy to ensure the voices of its members are heard and their interests are protected. The association offers regulatory compliance and food safety training through SafeStaff® and FRLA’s subsidiary, RCS Training. The FRLA Educational Foundation provides industry-developed, career-building high school programs throughout the state.