College Students from Across Louisiana Compete for Top Baker and Chef Awards
(Jennings, Louisiana – March 28, 2022)
SOWELA Technical Community College Morgan Smith in Jennings, La. will host the world’s largest skills organization for its annual Louisiana SkillsUSA Culinary Arts competition on Tuesday, March 29, and Wednesday, March 30, 2022. The event provides students in the Louisiana Community and Technical College System (LCTCS) with an opportunity to highlight their cooking expertise.
“We are thrilled to host the culinary contests for this year’s Louisiana Postsecondary SkillsUSA Conference,” said SOWELA SkillsUSA Advisor and Associate Professor Adrienne Abel. “These contests present an opportunity for students to showcase their leadership, teamwork and culinary skills. Students are evaluated on a variety of areas, such as sanitation skills, food safety, clothing, preparation and presentation.”
The two-day event features Commercial Baking and Culinary Arts contests. Participants take a written test and a practical skills exam. SOWELA Culinary Arts students Felicia Harmon and Anna Candler will represent the College in the Commercial Baking track and Ebony LeDay, Andre Blanchard and Travis Cesar will compete in the Culinary Arts track, along with their peers from other Louisiana community colleges.
Top student winners will receive gold, silver and bronze medallions. Many will also receive prizes such as tools of their trade to further their careers and education. Winners can advance to the National Leadership and Skills Conference in Atlanta, Ga. this summer. The Louisiana Culinary Arts championship event is for postsecondary students who are members of SkillsUSA.
SkillsUSA offers students a multitude of networking and growth opportunities for career success. The SkillsUSA Framework encompasses three major areas: Personal Skills, Workplace Place and Technical Skills Grounded in Academics. Employing these areas helps prepare students for high demand, high-skilled and high-wage careers.
About SOWELA Technical Community College
SOWELA Technical Community College provides traditional, distance, and lifelong learning experiences and awards associate degrees, technical diplomas, and certificates. The College empowers learners in career and technical education and enables transfer students to pursue a four-year degree, so all learners excel as globally competitive citizens. The College has been educating the region’s workforce for 80 years.