The Greater Dallas Restaurant Association-sponsored high school FSPrep ProStart culinary education program continues to produce successful teams as North Texas' dedicated instructors and fine curricula take students to new levels of growth, great achievement and professionalism. 
 
On Saturday, March 6, the North Texas culinary team from Wylie High School - including  Zack Cottey, Brian Duncan, Kellen Ly, Logan Shillington and Austin Valdepena, led by their instructor Steve DeShazo - received the top award in the Texas contest for the National FSPrep/ProStart High School Competition.  

 
"We are infinitely proud of the great Wylie Team for their win and for their respect for the culinary arts," said Jamee Jolly, Executive Director of the Greater Dallas Restaurant Association.  "From our members, to our sponsors who provide scholarships, to the fabulous instructors who are ensuring that students receive the top guidance for reaching their career dreams, we are all gratified to know that our work each day to support culinary education is changing lives and maintaining high standards for our industry."  
 

"When so many youth are tempted in our daily culture with unhealthy distractions to delay their own happiness and dreams, it is deeply satisfying to see how beautifully behaved and happy our students are as they compete under serious pressure, just like the Food Network!"  continued Jolly.  "These students are the business leaders and industry professionals of tomorrow."
 
Nine culinary arts teams and three restaurant management teams from the Dallas, Houston and Austin metro areas met at the Texas Culinary Academy in Austin to compete in the state finals of the FSPrep/ProStart High School Competition. This is the first year that Texas has participated in this national competition.
 
The teams who competed on March 6 got there having won among 26 culinary teams in regional culinary competitions in Dallas, Houston and Austin earlier this year. The top three teams from each regional competition participated in the state competition.  Three management teams competed at the same time.

North Texas was represented in the Austin statewide competition by Wylie High School, along with the Duncanville High School and Mansfield ISD's Ben Barber Tech Academy culinary program teams. 

 
Judges were ultimately impressed by the flavorful culinary creations and excellent team work of the Wylie High School student group. Teams participating in the culinary competition were required to demonstrate their creative abilities through the preparation of a three-course meal in only 60 minutes. Others areas they were judged on included knife skills and fabricating a chicken in 30 minutes.
 
Wylie High School's restaurant management team of Bennett Brown, Jordan Cook, Katie Hoeflich, Lexi Miller and Ashley Morton, also led by Steve DeShazo, placed first in the restaurant management competition. Teams participating in the restaurant management competition demonstrated their knowledge of the restaurant and foodservice industry by developing a restaurant proposal, delivering a verbal presentation and applying critical thinking skills to challenges managers face in day-to-day operations.
 
Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Schools provided scholarships to the winners in both the culinary and restaurant management competitions. Each member of the first place culinary team received a $10,000 scholarship and the second place team members received a $5,000 scholarship. The first place restaurant management team members received a $5,000 scholarship and the second place team members received a $2,500 scholarship.
 
Now the two Wylie High School teams will travel to Kansas to compete in the National ProStart Invitational April 30. Each year more than $1 million in scholarships are awarded to winning culinary and management teams at the national competition by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, The Coca-Cola Company and many leading colleges and universities.
 
In addition to hosting culinary competitions to inspire entry into the culinary, hospitality and restaurant business and compete in high-caliber events like the event in Austin on March 6, the Greater Dallas Restaurant Association awards $80,000-plus in scholarships to accomplished high school culinary program students to attend culinary school at the college level. 
 
"It was very exciting to see the outstanding culinary and management talent exhibited by our Texas FS Prep students who competed for the first time," said Dean McSherry, Preferred Restaurant Services and TRA Education Foundation chairman. "All of the teams should be very proud of their accomplishments and we wish the Wylie High School teams the best of luck as they represent Texas in the national competition."
 
 
State Competition Winners
Culinary
First Place       Wylie High School, Wylie, Texas
Second Place   Westside High School, Houston, Texas
Third Place      Belton High School, Belton, Texas
 
Management
First Place       Wylie High School, Wylie, Texas
Second Place   San Angelo Center High School, San Angelo, Texas
Third Place      Belton High School, Belton, Texas
 
Regional Competition Winners
Dallas
First Place       Wylie High School, Wylie, Texas
Second Place   Duncanville High School, Duncanville, Texas
Third Place      Mansfield ISD Ben Barber Career Tech Academy, Mansfield, Texas
 
Houston
First Place       Alief Hastings High School, Houston, Texas
Second Place   Westside High School, Houston, Texas
Third Place      Miller Career & Technology Center, Katy, Texas
 
Austin
First Place       Belton High School, Belton, Texas
Second Place   San Angelo Center High School, San Angelo, Texas
Third Place      John Jay High School, San Antonio, Texas
 
The FSPrep/ProStart Competitions were supported by the following partners: US Foodservice, Auto-Chlor, Preferred Restaurant Services, Tyson, Edward Don, Texas Beef Council, Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Schools and Claes and Greenoe Marketing Group.
 
And the National Restaurant Association has recruited the support of the Food Network's Guy Fieri to showcase the accomplishments of American culinary students at the high school level in this national competition. Fieri hosted a special highlighting the students of the 2009 National ProStart competition this past December. The show, called Top of the Class, features ProStart students and Guy Fieri, popular Food Network host of three shows - Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, Guy's Big Bite and Ultimate Recipe Showdown. 
  
For more information on the Greater Dallas Restaurant Association, its programs to build good business for the industry, and all of its culinary education and scholarship programs, visit www.gdra.org.