ProStart Culinary Team Competitions Results!
ORLANDO – The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association Educational Foundation (FRLAEF) proudly announces the winners of its recent statewide high school competition – the ProStart
Culinary Team Competition.
On March 8-9, 400 students from over 40 Florida high schools competed in Culinary, Management, Edible Centerpiece, and Waiter’s Relay events at the 24th annual ProStart event. At the Salute to Excellence Award ceremony, winners received 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. Culinary competition winners also earned full scholarships to Hillsborough Culinary Academies at Erwin Technical College. First place teams in culinary and management will represent Florida at the national ProStart Invitational in Washington, D.C. this May.
“We are incredibly proud of the talent and dedication shown by these students during the 24th annual ProStart and HTM events,” said Laura Rumer, Director of the FRLA Educational Foundation. “These competitions highlight their skills and passion for the industry. It’s inspiring to see so many receive scholarships and recognition for their hard work. Congratulations to all the winners, and we look forward to seeing them represent Florida at the national ProStart Invitational in Washington, D.C. this May.”
“As the state’s top industry, hospitality is at the heart of Florida’s economy, and these high school students are its future,” said Carol Dover, President and CEO of the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association (FRLA). “We are thrilled to support their growth through programs like ProStart and HTM, which provide them with the skills and opportunities needed to succeed in this dynamic field. With the largest ProStart program nationwide and the unique distinction of being the only state to host a statewide HTM contest, we remain committed to nurturing the next generation of industry leaders. Their talent and passion give us great confidence in the future of Florida’s hospitality industry. We are proud to invest in these young leaders and look forward to seeing the incredible contributions they will make to our industry for years to come.”
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, and Universal Orlando. Event sponsors include Disney Culinary, Ecolab, Florida Atlantic University, and Zwilling J.A. Henckels.
24th ANNUAL FLORIDA PROSTART COMPETITION WINNERS:
OVERALL WINNERS
1st Place Martin County High School (Stuart): Instructor Shaun Southwick
2nd Place Strawberry Crest High School (Dover): Instructor Paul Bonanno
3rd Place Wekiva High School (Apopka): Instructor Christopher Bates
4th TIE South Lake High School (Groveland): Instructor John Thunberg
4th TIE Fort Pierce Central High School (Fort Pierce): Instructor Jesse Strell
5th TIE George Jenkins High School (Lakeland): Instructor Sherry Scott
5th TIE Lyman High School (Longwood): Instructor Dane Brevoort
KEISER UNIVERSITY CULINARY COMPETITION
1st Place Strawberry Crest High School (Dover): Rubicel Lopez, Jadira Ipanaque, Savannah Heist, Sophia Reyes, and Riley Clark, Instructor Paul Bonanno
2nd Place Wekiva High School (Apopka): Erika Giraldo, Nowah James, Diego German-Quen, Jasmine Thomas, and David Maldonado, Instructor Christopher Bates
3rd Place Martin County High School (Stuart): Ethan Berrios, Constantino Padovano, Chris Clingan, and Sarah Duda, Instructor Shaun Southwick
4th Place Lake Minneola High School (Minneola): Rocco Brown, Daijah Charles, Nathaly Sierralta, Matthew Loayza, and Noah Hammond, Instructor Nick Sandora
5th Place JP Taravella High School (Coral Springs): Arianna Carter, Rihanna Cole, Gabriella Medina Perafan, and Luna Vasquez, Instructor Scott Goodman
UCF ROSEN COLLEGE OF HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT COMPETITION
1st Place Wekiva High School (Apopka): Onyx Castillo, Zariah Edwards, Isaac Aristud, Aubrey Pugh, Instructor Christopher Bates
2nd Place Strawberry Crest High School (Dover): Faye Lee, Juliana Kelly, Toby Highsmith, Reagan Westberry, and Christina Molina-Contreras, Instructor Paul Bonanno
3rd Place Martin County High School (Stuart): Jameer Lewin, Claire Richter, Zoey Krisel, Olivia Da Cunha, and Jennifer Sanchez, Instructor Shaun Southwick
4th Place Miami Lakes Educational Center (Miami Lakes): Paula Muniz, Ryan Anderson, Kyle Perez, and Wester Mordan, Instructor David Nunez
5th Place Coral Springs High School (Coral Springs): Brady Porter, Aubrey Vance, Evan Bittman, David Puello, and Cole Clap, Instructor Aruna Lien
UNIVERSAL ORLANDO EDIBLE CENTERPIECE COMPETITION
1st Place Bryar Stoney, Martin County High School
2nd Place Marie Townsel, Strawberry Crest High School
3rd Place Steven Twiss, George Jenkins High School
4th Place Ava Caldwell, Lyman High School
5th Place TIE Mischa Davies, South Lake High School
5th Place TIE Kyle Conti, JP Taravella High School
WAITERS RELAY COMPETITION
1st Place Martin County High School (Stuart): Ella Carbaugh, Davis Scott, and Colin Blackwell, Instructor Shaun Southwick
2nd Place Fort Pierce Central High School (Fort Pierce): Wyatt Roberts, Lily Dowdy, and Peyton Black, Instructor Jesse Strell
3rd Place South Lake High School (Groveland): Ryder Eckert, Isabel Acensio, Evan Greblick, Instructor John Thunberg
4th Place Dunnellon High School (Dunnellon): Brayden Sain, Olyvia Hanchar, and Addison Perkins, Instructor Melissa Mosby
5th Place Lyman High School (Longwood): Samuel Sargent, Ramon Raven-Vidal, and Alejandro Diaz, Instructor Dane Brevoort
ProStart is a nationwide high school career program educating 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 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.
2025 COMPETITION PHOTOS
2025 COMPETITION VIDEO
Additional Videos: Martin County Overall and a Waiter’s Relay Conversation with Ridgeview HS and an Edible Centerpiece Conversation with George Jenkins HS Student
2025 FRLAEF Scholarship Application Closes April 11
The FRLAEF will award at least $65,000 in scholarships during the 2024-2025 school year. Each scholarship awarded will be in the amount of $2,000 and will be a one-time, non-renewable 
scholarship.
To be eligible for this scholarship the applicant must:
- Be enrolled in a ProStart program in a Florida secondary school
- Be a graduating senior who will begin post-secondary education in 2025
- Be entering a culinary or hospitality post-secondary program
- Return a copy of their OFFICIAL high school transcript to FRLAEF by application deadline
APPLICATION TIMELINE The FRLAEF Scholarship application became available in the January issue of NewsBites. The application deadline is April 11, 2025
COMPLETE THE FULL APPLICATION! For the last six years, each applicant that has returned a completed application along with their high school transcript as well as pursuing a degree in culinary or hospitality, has received a scholarship. It only takes a few minutes, so please encourage your students to complete the process.
CLICK HERE TO APPLY
FRLAEF Post-Secondary Scholarship
The FRLAEF Post-Secondary scholarship is now available for your graduating seniors.
In order to be eligible for this scholarship the applicant must:
• Be enrolled at a post-secondary school pursuing a culinary or hospitality program–Summer/Fall 2025 term
• Return your transcript by application deadline
Six $2,000 scholarships will be awarded. This is a one-time, non-renewable award. However, students may reapply each year.
Application deadline: May 16, 2025
Applicants notified award status by: May 23, 2025
CLICK HERE TO APPLY
The FRLAEF will conduct two ProStart Teacher Training events this summer. Training will be held at the Keiser University Sarasota campus and at UCF’s Rosen College of Hospitality in 
Orlando. Both events will begin on Tuesday evening and conclude at Friday lunch.
PROGRAM COST
The FRLAEF, along with its sponsors, covers the cost for all qualifying attendees, including instruction, lodging, chef coat and take-home educational materials. Most meals will be provided. Transportation is on your own.
Accommodations for both events will be in a local hotel and each participant will have their own room. FRLAEF will cover the cost of the room nights on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
UCF’S ROSEN COLLEGE OF HOSPITALITY, ORLANDO
June 17-20, 2025
Accommodations are at Rosen Shingle Creek.
KEISER UNIVERSITY, SARASOTA
June 24-27, 2025
Accommodations are at Homewood Suites Lakewood Ranch.
REQUIREMENTS
All attendees must teach the ProStart curriculum during the upcoming 2025-2026 school year.
TRANSPORTATION
Attendees are responsible for their own transportation to the event as well as to and from the campuses each day.
ServSafe Exam The ServSafe review and exam will be offered at both locations on Tuesday, June 17 and 24. If you are NOT attending the training this year but need to take the ServSafe exam, you may sign up for the review and exam using the Teacher Training registration link.
REGISTER HERE FOR TEACHER TRAINING
Registration closes May 2, 2025
Banana Split Showdown Finalists
Congratulations to the five schools who will compete on April 26 for a chance to win a knife kit and a field trip for their class to a local dairy. These finalists receive two ice cream makers each that the classroom gets to keep after the Showdown. The finalists are listed below. Good luck to everyone!
Deland High School
Miami Central Senior High
Northeast High School
Sarasota High School
Wekiva High School
Pre-Order New Edition ProStart
The National Restaurant Association is offering the opportunity to pre-order the new edition of Foundations of Restaurant Management & Culinary Arts (FRMCA) for the fall 2025 semester. Pre-ordering the textbook in advance can offer schools:
- Guaranteed availability
- Ability to use budgets to their advantage
To make the pre-order process as simple as possible, please find the details below for your reference:
- Eligible Products
- Price List information
- Pre-orders must be paid for upfront – and payment submitted based on the quote (not an invoice).
- Standard discounts offered will be applicable during the pre-order window.
- Pre-order products will ship as they become available. Access to Teacher Resources will be provided once those are available.
- Pre-order deadline:
– April 4, 2025– Textbooks, Lab Manual, Textbook + Lab Manual bundle, Answer Sheets
– TBD – Teacher Resources
Table of Contents and Learning Objectives for 3rd edition
To place a pre-order reach out to Lauren Robin or 312-627-2424.
ProStart Articulation
The National ProStart Collegiate Passport includes information about post-secondary schools that offer college credit and/or scholarships to ProStart students who have earned the ProStart National Certificate of Achievement (COA). The credits and scholarships listed in the Passport are available to any ProStart student with a COA, regardless of residence, although out-of-state tuition may apply.
CLICK HERE FOR THE PASSPORT
Jr. Pitmaster Class and Competition
Sonny’s BBQ is conducting a Junior Pitmaster Class and Competition on Saturday, April 19 at Wekiva High School in Orlando.
CLICK HERE for all the details.
National ProStart News
This May, the National Restaurant Association Foundation will launch the JumpStart grant program, an exciting new initiative to bring a group of up to eight (8) ProStart students and two (2) chaperones to Chicago, May 17-19, for an educational industry event. Students will attend the National Restaurant Association Show, meet with industry experts, and jump start their career journey.
The JumpStart grant is open to current ProStart schools interested in sending ProStart students over the age of 16 to the event. Grant funds will cover the cost of travel, accommodations, and participation fees for the grant recipients selected group of up to 10 people who attend the event. Each school will also receive a direct stipend to cover an additional expense while they are in Chicago.
Questions? Click here for the FAQs or reach out to Alyssa Prince at aprince@nraef.org. The grant application will be open until March 3, 2025. Apply today!
The NRAEF Communications Team is looking for recipes from ProStart schools to post in our quarterly newsletters. Please encourage your educators to send us their best recipes at ProStart@nraef.org.
SHARE YOUR STORY The National Restaurant Association is collecting personal stories through Gather Voices, a simple and user-friendly platform for you to share your experiences on video. These stories will help showcase how the restaurant industry builds careers, strengthens communities, and opens doors for all.
HOW TO SUBMIT:
- Head to the video submission link https://bit.ly/3DkqOHI
- Record your video using your phone or computer. You’ll be asked to share your thoughts on the industry and how it has shaped your life. Feel free to re-record until it’s just right.
- Click submit!
Kitchen Tour Video
One of our FRLAEF Board Members, Dennis Chan is the owner operator of Blue Bamboo restaurant in Jacksonville. If you have received a Mini Grant, Chef Chan is among our Board members who spend a few hours going line by line through the requests and then awarding the Grants. He loves it!
The Clay County ProStart schools were having a hard time getting approved for field trips, so Chef Chan put this virtual kitchen tour together for them. Feel free to share with your students.
Become a Premier ProStart School with Free ProStart Exam Materials
Teachers often ask how they can become Premier ProStart schools when they are doing everything required to be Full ProStart schools. In order to get to Premier, you must have at least one student earn the ProStart Certificate of Achievement (COA). If you have a student already working in the foodservice industry, this could be a pathway to get to Premier status. To earn their COA, students must:
- Work at least 400 hours in the foodservice industry
- Pass both Foundations exams
- Have their manager complete the Work Experience Checklist
For a detailed list and a how-to of these steps click here.
The FRLAEF offers free ProStart exam materials each year to Premier and Full ProStart schools. Once we have received a teacher’s Full Implementation contract you are free to request complimentary scantrons or online codes.
Hospitality Industry Internships
The Hospitality Industry Internship (HII) provides the opportunity for Florida ProStart & HTM instructors to work in a 
foodservice/lodging establishment for at least 40 hours. Once the required paperwork has been processed, the participant will receive a personal check for $600.
To qualify for an HII, the instructor must teach the ProStart, HTM, or HTMP curriculum during the 2024-2025 school year. If you are already employed at a restaurant or hotel, you MAY NOT use that site for your internship. The restaurant/hotel must be a new work experience for you, not somewhere you have worked before or used as an HII internship location.
The applicant must secure a position at a foodservice or lodging facility where a minimum of 40 hours of hands-on experience is guaranteed. The host location may pay the recipient but is not required to do so.
The FRLAEF will award 11 HII’s this school year on a first-come, first-served basis. So apply NOW! Work experience may begin once the applicant receives an award notification from the FRLAEF.
APPLY NOW!
Foundations & ServSafe Updates
The 3rd edition of the ProStart curriculum, Foundations of Restaurant Management & Culinary Arts is set to be released in time for the 2025-2026 school year. A price list has not been made available. Schools do not have to purchase the 3rd edition to retain their status as ProStart schools, however, schools that have the 1st edition of ProStart will need to upgrade to the 3rd edition.
Effective Tuesday, October 1, 2024, there will be a 2% increase in the list price for the following products offered by the National Restaurant Association:
- ServSafe Coursebook and ServSafe SmartStudy Only
- Foundations of Restaurant Management and Culinary Arts (including eBooks and SmartStudy)
Florida Hospitality by the Numbers (click to enlarge)
Complimentary Foodsafety Materials (ServSafe and/or SafeStaff)
Each Premier and Full ProStart program is eligible for free ServSafe or SafeStaff materials. Once we receive your ProStart Classification paperwork (i.e.. Premier or Full), you can order up to $350 of complimentary ServSafe/SafeStaff materials through a link we will send you.
NEW THIS YEAR When you complete the National Restaurant Association Data Survey, you will be sent a link from us to order up to $800 of free foodsafety materials. We will let you know when the survey is available. It has typically gone out in late September/early October.
Complimentary ServSuccess Materials
ServSuccess is a stackable foodservice industry credential. The entry level certification is Certified Restaurant Professional (CRP). Individuals must have 400 hours of industry experience along with the ServSafe certification to be eligible to sit for the CRP. No training is required but five modules are offered.
If you would like to take the courses and/or the exam, email Amy Parker to let her know and she will get you signed up for free!
The link below will provide you with additional information on CRP.