The Wisconsin team from Sheboygan North High School won first place in the ProStart® Student Invitational Culinary Competition held at Disney’s Contemporary Resort in Orlando, Florida April 24-27. The ProStart Invitational is a high school culinary and foodservice management competition presented by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation and the Coca-Cola Company.
The winning team members: Shayne McWilliams, Jon Moran, Nicole Rudie and Mathew Wiltzius and their instructor Karen Sullivan are thrilled to be the first Wisconsin team to win this prestigious national competition. The four students were accompanied by their teacher and a group of 15 family and friends who traveled to Orlando to cheer them on.

Over 100 students from 28 states and the Territory of Guam competed in the national competition. Teams participating in the culinary competition have to demonstrate their creative abilities by preparing a meal consisting of a starter, entrée and dessert in 60 minutes. The students were rated on presentation and flavor, teamwork, cooking procedures and sanitation by an impressive panel of judges of culinary instructors from leading post-secondary schools and industry professionals. 2nd Place in the Culinary Competition went to Colorado and 3rd place went to Utah.

The National ProStart Student Invitational attracts top high school students from around the country that are enrolled in the ProStart restaurant and foodservice management program. These students have proven their skill and commitment to the industry through vigorous coursework and on-the-job training.

“When they announced the winner, I think we were all in shock. The students are so excited. It’s going to take weeks for them to come down to earth,” said Tricia Weisheipl, ProStart & Mentoring Coordinator for the Wisconsin Restaurant Association Education Foundation. “The students really represented their school, our state and our industry well and we are so proud of them.”

The team used Wisconsin products including beer, brats , cheese and Door County cherries, done “gourmet style” to create the winning meal. The meal consisted of a grilled vegetable torta with smoked salmon starter, “Veal Tenderloin Ala Wisconsin” entrée and a “Black Forest Enchantment” chocolate mousse dessert.

McWilliams, Moran, Rudie and Wiltzius, all Seniors at Sheboygan North High School, were awarded gold medals and a plaque for their school as well as several scholarships. They each were awarded a $5,000 scholarship from the NRAEF for the school of their choice for two years as well as scholarships to Kendall College, the Culinary Institute of America and others. Wiltzius and Rudie plan to attend Kendall College in Chicago, IL. McWilliams and Moran plan to attend Moraine Park Technical College in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.

The Sheboygan North High School team won the 2005 Wisconsin ProStart Invitational, held at the Wisconsin Restaurant Expo this March in Milwaukee, which earned them the chance to compete at the national competition in Orlando.
The Sheboygan North team’s teacher, Karen Sullivan, has been teaching for 34 years and gives generously of her time and energy to her students. Sullivan was awarded Wisconsin ProStart Teacher of the Year award in 2004 and the WRAEF Salute to Excellence award in 2004.
The ProStart program, administered by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) and state restaurant associations, is a two-year curriculum designed to teach high school students the management skills needed for a career in the restaurant and foodservice industry. As part of the ProStart program, students also have the opportunity to participate in paid internships where industry managers mentor them. When students meet academic standards, complete a checklist of competencies, and participate in at least 400 hours of a mentored work experience, they earn up to 12 college credits and are awarded the ProStart National Certificate of Achievement that signifies they are well-qualified to enter the industry workforce.

Wisconsin was one of the first states in the county to pilot and implement a ProStart program.

To learn more about the NRAEF or ProStart program, please visit www.nraef.org/prostart or call (312) 715-1010. For more information on the Wisconsin ProStart program, call Tricia Weisheipl at (800) 589-3211.

PHOTOS FROM THE WISCONSIN PROSTART EVENT ARE
CURRENTLY AVAILABLE BY DOWNLOAD AT
www.www.wirestaurant.org/downloads

PHOTOS FROM THE NATIONAL EVENT
WILL BE AVAILABLE ON FRIDAY 4/29 AT
www.www.wirestaurant.org/downloads

- END -

Since 1933, the Wisconsin Restaurant Association has been dedicated to the promotion, protection and improvement of the foodservice industry. The Wisconsin Restaurant Education Foundation’s mission is to promote food service as a professional career path; attract and educate future industry leaders; and provide quality training for those already working in the industry.