Team South Carolina Shines at National ProStart Invitational

Team South Carolina Shines at National ProStart Invitational

Team South Carolina battled more than 400 competitors at the 2023 National ProStart Invitational earlier this month in Washington, D.C. Anderson Career and Technology Center (ACTC) placed fourth in the Culinary Arts Competition, while Golden Strip Career Center placed 20th in Restaurant Management.

The event featured a show-stopping display of culinary talent and restaurant business acumen by over 90 of the country’s best and brightest high school teams from 46 states. All students competing in the National ProStart Invitational earned their place by winning their state-level ProStart Invitational competitions.

ACTC serves students from Belton-Honea Path, Palmetto, Powdersville, and Wren High Schools in the Anderson I & II School Districts. Golden Strip serves students from Hillcrest, Mauldin and J.L. Mann High Schools in Greenville County Schools.

Established in 1995 by the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation (NRAEF), ProStart has equipped 1 million high school students to date with career ready culinary and restaurant management skills. Today, the program reaches nearly 165,000 students at almost 1,850 schools, who emerge ready to build a career in the restaurant and hospitality industry. South Carolina ProStart was introduced in 1999 and reaches 54 schools statewide.

“The passion and talent displayed by the National ProStart Invitational competitors was truly awe-inspiring, giving us a front row seat to the next generation that will shape our industry,” said NRAEF President Rob Gifford. “Thanks to the daily work of our educators, ProStart is equipping these students with crucial career-building skills that will enhance their lives in the industry, or wherever their futures take them.” 

The National ProStart Invitational is a high-stakes competition between some of the best culinary and restaurant management students in the country. Students on the culinary teams had 60 minutes to prepare a three course, fine dining menu, using only two butane burners and no running water. The management teams persuaded a panel of judges that their innovative restaurant business pitches had the chops to succeed in the real world.

Going head-to-head against 45 fellow teams, ACTC’s menu consisted of sea scallops with potato croquettes and a spring vegetable salad as a starter, and pan-seared squab with creamy parsnip puree, braised turnip greens, and a fig reduction sauce to follow. They completed their menu with a deconstructed carrot cake with cream cheese whipped ganache, pineapple cream and carrot sorbet.

More than 70 industry and post-secondary judges were on hand to select the winning teams. Students were evaluated on their uniform and professional appearance, teamwork, decision making ability, product taste, and overall menu appeal. The top 10 winning teams earned more than $200,000 in scholarships.

South Carolina’s Educator of Excellence nominee, Kimberly Bush, will travel to Dallas, TX in July for the Educator of Excellence Awards Ceremony and ProStart professional development training. Bush, a ProStart instructor at South Aiken High School, is recognized for sharing her experiences in the hospitality industry and her contributions to culinary education.

About the South Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association

For more than 75 years, the SCRLA’s mission has been to promote, protect and educate the foodservice and lodging industries of our state and to ensure positive business growth for our members. The SCRLA strives to represent the best interests of its members on small business issues, hospitality, and tourism concerns and towards the protection of South Carolina’s quality of life. Learn more at scrla.org.

About ProStart®

ProStart, a nationwide, two-year high school career and technical education program uniting the classroom and restaurant industry, reaches nearly 165,000 students at almost 1,850 high schools throughout all states, the District of Columbia and Guam. ProStart gives students a platform to discover and develop new interests and talents, while teaching employability skills like teamwork, professional behavior, time management and communication.

About the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation

As the supporting philanthropic foundation of the National Restaurant Association, the NRAEF’s charitable mission includes enhancing the industry’s training and education, career development, and community engagement efforts. Learn more at ChooseRestaurants.org.