Elgin High School Culinary Arts Students Win State Competition

The Board of Education Monday recognized four Elgin High School students for their successful restaurant business plan at a state culinary competition. EHS seniors Jessica Aguayo, Jorge Delgado, Yesenia Rosas, and Shelby Stoltz presented an altruistic restaurant business plan that placed first at the state level earlier this year and allowed the students to compete nationally this past weekend, according to a news release.

“The annual state competition allows our students to perform in front of some of the top industry professionals," said Terri Lozier, assistant superintendent of secondary education. “It’s an honor just to compete at the state level but especially rewarding to see our Elgin High School students show off their skills and prove they’re ready to succeed within the culinary world.”

Elgin High School Culinary Arts teachers Kara Donash and Elizabeth Schimmel, along with former EHS teacher Ann Leider, led the team that competed in the 17th Annual Illinois Restaurant Association Educational Foundation ProStart Student Invitational in March at McCormick Place in Chicago. The first place award marks the fourth time in the past five years that an EHS team took top honors at the state competition, according to a news release.

EHS culinary arts students run Clumsy Chef, a restaurant and catering company housed within the school, according to a news release. The winning team presented a business plan for a self-sustaining non-profit restaurant that aimed to provide healthy meals, made from locally-grown ingredients, for free or a donation, to those most in need. As part of the competition, students presented their complete restaurant concept, business and marketing plan to judges.

The Board of Education recognized the students with “Accent on Achievement” certificates at 7 p.m. Monday, May 1 in room 140 at the Educational Services Center, 355 E. Chicago St., Elgin. Students at the Clumsy Chef will cook breakfast on Tuesday and lunch on Thursday this week for the EHS staff.

The EHS Restaurant Management team represented U-46 and the State of Illinois as it competed against dozens of teams in the National ProStart Invitational in Charleston, South Carolina over the weekend.