Over 250 students from across California showcased their skills,
Talented teens from Pacifica High School earned college scholarships at the California Restaurant Foundation’s 2024 ProStart Cup presented by Wienerschnitzel, a culinary arts and restaurant entrepreneurship competition held on February 21 and 22 at the Long Beach Convention Center. Over 250 students from across California showcased their skills, crafting three-course meals and presenting restaurant concepts to industry pros. Pacifica High School’s team secured third place in the BJ’s Restaurants Culinary Competition, with each student awarded scholarships to esteemed institutions like The Culinary Institute of America, Cal Poly Pomona, San Diego State University, Johnson & Wales University and more.
Additionally, the California Restaurant Foundation identified Pacifica High School ProStart teacher, Kristen Collins, as its “CA ProStart Educator of the Year.” Kristen brings a wealth of knowledge and experience from her time in the restaurant industry to the classroom, and in her eight years, has solidified Pacifica High School as one of the state’s top high school culinary programs. With her mantra to ‘never stop learning,’ Kristen has built skills in gardening, dry-aging meat and pancetta making, which she weaves into classroom instruction and uses to fuel her students’ success in the ProStart Cup competition and beyond.
In addition to vying for The James H. Maynard Teacher of the Year, a national award and $10,000 prize awarded by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, Kristen will be part of the newly established ProStart Educator Fellows program, a year-long engagement opportunity culminating with a gathering of all the fellows from across the county in October.
