The national Culinary Arts STAR event recognizes students enrolled in high-school occupational culinary-arts/foodservice-training programs for their ability to work as members of a team to produce a quality meal using techniques and equipment typical of foodservice. This year, three-student teams representing 36 states executed a menu of tomato and asparagus salad with mozzarella and vinaigrette; Maxwell Street-style pork chop with onions and roesti potatoes; and a fresh-fruit tart.

Kendall College serves as an official partner with FCCLA at state and national levels, and this year marked the second consecutive year that an Illinois team coached by Kendall won the national competition. “I’m thrilled that Kendall College was able to help the Illinois team achieve first place—again!,” says Christopher Koetke, CEC, CCE, dean of the School of Culinary Arts and vice president of culinary arts for Laureate International Universities network. “We have always supported the vision of high-school students to become successful culinarians in our vibrant industry, and that’s why we commit the time and resources to give students from Illinois the best possible training for the annual STAR competition.”

Students making up this year’s winning team—Collin Bumberculled of Lockport Township High School; Brian Francis of Lyons Township North High School, LaGrange; and Alex Tondu of York High School, Elmhurst—were trained by chef instructor Michel Coatrieux, who has trained Illinois students for the competition for several years. The three students were selected by Coatrieux from six finalists who scored highest among 27 students in the statewide competition held at Kendall College March 25.

“Illinois FCCLA is so honored to have the first-place culinary team in the nation for the second year in a row!” says Marta Lockwood, executive director of the Illinois Association of FCCLA based in Springfield. “The three young men did a tremendous job of not only showing their culinary skills, but they worked very well as a team. Chef Coatrieux does an amazing job training and preparing our team for the competition! Our organization feels very honored to have such a tremendous partnership with Kendall College.”

In addition to their gold medals as a result of their win, Kendall College offered the three first-place Illinois students up to $42,000 each in scholarships for the entire four-year Bachelor of Arts in Culinary Arts degree program (or, up to $3,500 per term). All other students who participated in the FCCLA competition at the national level were offered up to $9,000 each for the same program (or, up to $750 per quarter).

FCCLA, which celebrates its 65th anniversary in 2010, is a dynamic student organization that helps young men and women become leaders and address important personal, family, work and societal issues through family-and-consumer-sciences education. Based in Reston, Va., FCCLA represents 300,000 students in more than 6,500 chapters from 50 state associations and the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. It is the only career and technical in-school student organization with the family as its central focus. The organization has involved more than 10 million youth since its founding in 1945.