Students from Eastside High School’s Institute of Culinary Arts won several awards at SkillsUSA Florida State Leadership and Skills Conference held in Jacksonville on April 14-17.
Eastside students medaled in four of the six competitions, including a sweep of all three medals in one of the categories, that include culinary arts, wedding cake design, restaurant service, baking and pastry arts and hospitality and tourism, according to a press release from Alachua County Public Schools.
For the second straight year, Eastside swept the top three spots in the restaurant service division, which requires students to demonstrate skills needed in the “front of the house” of a fine dining restaurant. The contestants hosted, served and executed table-side preparations.
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Senior Travis Coe earned the gold medal in the restaurant service competition, which garnered him a $2,000 scholarship from Johnson and Wales University, a renowned institution known for its culinary arts program. Coe also qualified for the national competition, which will be held in late June in Atlanta.
Senior Ian Vought took silver in the restaurant service division and received a $1,000 scholarship, and junior Eli Evans took bronze and a $500 scholarship.
“We train very hard for that contest,” said Chef Pam Bedford, who directs the program at Eastside High, in the press release. “To someone looking in from the outside without any hospitality training it might seem confusing, but there are so many different aspects to service. One little slip up can mean the difference between an exemplary dining experience and a mediocre one.”
In the culinary arts category, junior Johnathan Manche took silver and received a $1,000 scholarship. Manche was also elected to serve as an officer in the state organization.
Senior Allyson DiFranco took silver in the baking and pastry arts division and won a $1,00 scholarship.
Two first-time competitors, juniors Amiracle Holmes and Adaiah Davis, won bronze in the wedding cake design category.
“I’m so proud of my students,” said Bedford. “Everyone came in with a great attitude, knew the competition would be tough and gave it their all.”
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