Culinary Arts dean to mentor local high school students for National ProStart Invitational

Five local high school students from the CS Monroe Technology Center, who will be competing in this year’s National ProStart Invitational, are being mentored by Jordan Lichman, the dean of Culinary Arts and Hospitality at Stratford University. The dean, who has helped the students polish their eco-friendly menu, polish their verbal presentation, and adjust the layout their kitchen design, will meet with the students again on the morning of April 25 & 27.

Jordan Lichman, the dean of Culinary Arts and Hospitality at Stratford University

The mentoring that the students have been receiving will help them in their quest to win the management competition in the National ProStart Invitational. The competition includes creating a restaurant proposal, giving a verbal presentation, and demonstrating how they would address day-to-day challenges in the field. Teams compete for a chance to win awards and scholarships for going on into a foodservice or restaurant industry career. In 2010, the competition provided $1.4 million in scholarships to culinary and management teams.

The National ProStart Invitational is its 10th year, with this years competition being held April 29-May 1, 2011, in Overland Park, Kan. There will be over 40 teams from all over the country competing.