High School Students Earn Culinary Scholarships

WASHINGTON, D.C. REGION PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TURNED FLOUR INTO GOLD

EARNED MORE THAN $340,000 IN CULINARY SCHOLARSHIPS AND OPPORTUNITIES

AWARDED BY CAREERS THROUGH CULINARY ARTS PROGRAM (C-CAP)

–C-CAP WILL AWARD OVER $3,000,000 NATIONWIDE IN 2015—

Washington, D.C., March 30, 2015— At the Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP) Washington, D.C. Region Awards Breakfast, C-CAP Washington, D.C. Program Coordinators Yvette and Troy Williams alongside C-CAP President Susan Robbins presented over $340,000 in scholarships and cash awards to 20 high school seniors during the awards ceremony hosted by The Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center.  The guest speaker was Jon Langel, General Manager, Bobby Van’s Steakhouse Grill.  Susan Robbins was joined by Max Kuller, son of  restaurant owner Mark Kuller, to present the Mark Kuller Memorial Scholarship for $5,000; Chefs Graham Bartlett and Noah Loudenback to present the Richard Sandoval Scholarship for $5,000, and with Sandi Hallmark to present the Hallmark Family Scholarship for $5,000.

Hard work, good grades, and a lot of broken eggs paid off for 20 seniors and one junior. Kyra Green, Oxon Hill High School and Gregory Brow of Bowie High School, who both received full-tuition scholarships towards their Bachelor’s Degree in the Culinary Arts. Kyra will attend the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, NY and  Gregory will study at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island come fall. The Monroe College full-tuition scholarship was awarded to Shanequa Sam of Bowie High School. Shanequa will study at the state-of-the-art Culinary Arts Center at the New Rochelle Campus. Desha Bennett of Bowie High School was awarded the scholarship to attend New England Culinary Institute (NECI).

Mazi Bowen from Crossland High School earned the scholarship to attend Culinary Institute of Virginia (CIV).  Desiree Joyner of Bowie High School and Shantel Jones of Parkdale High School, earned scholarships to attend the Art Institute of Washington, D.C.

2015 WASHINGTON, D.C. REGION SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS LIST

Amaya Newman, Gwynn Park High School, Monroe Boot Camp Junior Award

Todd Jenkins, Oxon Hill High School, C-CAP Education Scholarship

Sean Stunton, High Point High School, C-CAP Education Scholarship

Kenndo Batson, Bowie High School, C-CAP Education Scholarship

Kevin Cupido, Parkdale High School, C-CAP Education Scholarship

Nathaniel Edwards, Parkdale High School, C-CAP Education Scholarship

Toni Elias, Parkdale High School, C-CAP Education Scholarship

Soraya Gadson, Charles Herbert Flowers High School, C-CAP Education Scholarship

Elmer Ramirez, Charles Herbert Flowers High School, C-CAP Education Scholarship

Velarie Velasquez, Oxon Hill High School, C-CAP Education Scholarship

Zion Buckmon, Gwynn Park High School, C-CAP Education Scholarship

Jonathan Hernandez, Duval High School, Mark Kuller Memorial Scholarship and The Meatless Monday Scholarship

Rafel Rosier II, Gwynn Park High School, Richard Sandoval Scholarship

Kayla Saulsbury, Gwynn Park High School, Hallmark Family Scholarship

Shanequa Sam, Bowie High School, Monroe College Scholarship

Desiree Joyner, Bowie High School, Art Institute of Washington, D.C. Scholarship

Shantel Jones, Parkdale High School, Art Institute of Washington, D.C. Scholarship

Gregory Brow, Bowie High School, Johnson & Wales University Scholarship

Kyra Green, Oxon Hill High School, Culinary Institute of America (CIA) Scholarship

Desha Bennett, Bowie High School, New England Culinary Institute (NECI)

Mazi Bowen, Crossland High School, Culinary Institute of Virginia (CIV)

The annual Meatless Monday Recipe contest introducing teen chefs from around the country to the Meatless Monday public health campaign announced their third prize winner at the ceremony. The $2,000 scholarship was presented to Jonathan Hernandez of Duval High School for his “Quinoa Veggie Burger with a Sweet Tomato Compote” recipe.

Scholarships awarded ranged in value from $1,000 to more than $100,000 to attend local culinary schools and some of the most prestigious culinary schools in the country.  Some students also received C-CAP Education Scholarships, cash awards to help defray the costs of books, supplies, housing, and other expenses while at community college or another culinary school. 

A couple days earlier, during the C-CAP Washington, D.C. Region Cooking Competition for Scholarships, 20 finalists representing 11 high schools competed against the clock when C-CAP re-created the intensity of a restaurant kitchen at the Oxon Hill High School in Oxon Hill, Maryland for the high school seniors to face off in a savory and sweet challenge. Students were judged by a panel of local esteemed judges on presentation of the dishes, knife skills, techniques in the kitchen, taste, sanitary food handling, and timeliness.  The judges included
-Executive Chef Erin Clarke, Restaurant Casa Luca (Chef Fabio's restaurant)
-Executive Chef Franz Corrales, Sodexo USA at Covington and Burling, LLP (C-CAP Alum)

-Chef David Ivey-Soto, Ana G. Mendez University System
-Chef Roberto Rosario, Ana G. Mendez University System
-Executive Chef Jackie Craig, Sodexo at Howard University Hospital
-C-CAP Chef Coordinator Troy Williams, GM of Food Service @ Howard University Hospital and Restaurant Owner The Spot Deli on H
-C-CAP Program Coordinator Yvette Williams, Restaurant Owner The Spot Deli on H
-C-CAP’s President, Susan Robbins 
 

The C-CAP Cooking Competitions for Scholarships are the culmination of the C-CAP high school program for underserved teenagers at risk of leaving high school without job or college prospects.  The C-CAP program offers direction, a set of useful skills, scholarships, and the potential for a fulfilling career in a growing industry.

About Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP) Washington, D.C. Region

Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP), is a national non-profit that prepares at-risk high school students for college and careers in the restaurant and hospitality industry. Founded in 1990 by noted culinary educator and cookbook author Richard Grausman, C-CAP provides job training and internships, scholarships, teacher training, cooking competitions, college and career advising, lifetime career support and product and equipment donations to schools.  C-CAP manages the largest independent scholarship program in the United States, and since inception, C-CAP has awarded over $43 million in scholarships and classrooms have received $3.8 million worth of supplies and equipment.  In 2014-2015 academic year, C-CAP Washington, D.C. Region served 435 students, 14 teachers in 11 schools.  In 2014, C-CAP awarded over $215,000 in scholarships to students from the Prince George’s County and Washington, D.C. school districts. Through C-CAP’s efforts, a large percentage of our students find rewarding careers in the foodservice and hospitality industry. For more information, visit www.ccapinc.org.

Press Contacts: 

C-CAP Washington, D.C. Region
Yvette Williams  
C: 240-691-9125
yvettew530@hotmail.com