Greater Dallas Restaurant Association presents $80K in scholarships to student chefs

by PegNews wire

DALLAS — North Texas students and restaurant industry member employees received $84,000 in scholarships from the Greater Dallas Restaurant Association, thanks to the Association's (GDRA's) Founders Club partners and the GDRA Scholarship Fund. The scholarships were presented at the Greater Dallas Restaurant Association's Scholarship Dinner, held at CityPlace Conference Center on April 21.

The culinary students are either in their senior year and enrolled in the GDRA's FS Prep Programs, part of the culinary arts program at their high school, or currently enrolled in a college-level culinary arts program. For the first time, GDRA members and their employees were also eligible to receive scholarships. Leaders in the restaurant industry funded the scholarships and presented the awards to the students and members and/or their employees.

A $10,000 scholarship was awarded to Nataly Mora from Frisco High School in honor of restaurant industry legend C. "Gus" Katsigris, founder of the acclaimed El Centro Food and Hospitality program.

Students winning $5,000 GDRA Founders Club Scholarships were Kelly Adkins, Wylie High School (sponsored by Admiral Linen); Anai Arzola, University of North Texas (sponsored by Sysco); Joshua Carter, Johnson and Wales University (sponsored by Schepps); Jessica Cohron, Wylie High School (Dr Pepper); Michelle Dykes, Richardson High School (sponsored by Ben E Keith Co.); Josip Janjic, Wylie High School (sponsored by US Foodservice); Sydney Klein, Centennial High School (sponsored by Medical City Heart); Heather Mulloy, Frisco High School (sponsored by Nationwide); Karla Rosas, Johnson and Wales University (sponsored by Sysco); Tyler Shipman, Centennial High School (sponsored by Hardie's); Halima Tasiu, Richardson High School (sponsored by Nationwide); William Wilbur, Collin College (sponsored by Edward Don) and Esther Wu, Culinary Institute of America (sponsored by Direct Energy).

Students receiving $1,000 GDRA FS Prep Scholarships were Meghan Andrewartha, Plano East High School; Amelia Braden, Liberty High School; Michelle Dykes, Richardson High School; Nataly Mora, Frisco High School; Karina Pinto, Molina High School; Maria Salazar, Newman Smith High School; Kenia Santibenez, Wylie High School; Davion Waters, Ben Barber Center and Everardo Zamarron, Centennial High School.

The students and member employees are continuing their culinary arts education at a variety of schools, including Culinary Institute of America, Le Cordon Bleu, Art Institute of Dallas, Johnson and Wales, University of North Texas, El Centro and Collin College.

Presenters included representatives from the 2008-09 GDRA Founders Club Partners: Nationwide, Sysco, Ben E. Keith Co., Medical City Heart, Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Direct Energy, Admiral Linen and Uniform Service, US Foodservice, Hardie's Fruit and Vegetable, Schepps Dairy, Edward Don and Company and scholarship donors such as Savor Dallas.

Since 2003, the GDRA has awarded more than $200,000 in scholarships, with funds raised by association events and donations from the industry and suppliers. High school seniors enrolled in a culinary arts program, a current college student enrolled as a hospitality major, and GDRA members and their employees are eligible to apply.

Due to the success of GDRA's fundraising programs, the growth of the industry and the expansion of the program in area schools, GDRA will award $84,000 in scholarships in the year 2009 alone.

FS Prep, designed by the Texas Restaurant Association Education Foundation (TRAEF), is a two-year, comprehensive culinary and foodservice instructional resource developed for high school teachers and includes daily lesson plans, PowerPoint presentations, lab and lecture guides, supplementary materials, tests and quizzes; all in modular and electronic format.

Developed in 2001 and updated in recent years, FS Prep has been adopted by over 70 high schools throughout Texas. Currently, local chapters of the Texas Restaurant Association (TRA) have begun implementing FS Prep curriculum into their neighborhood schools.

Source: GDRA