San Dimas High School’s Culinary Competition Team, “Let Them Cook,” took first place at their state ProStart Competition. The group consists of Emma Johns, Emily Robertson, Kyle Yamate, leader Kaila Khoury, and manager, Renata Marcillo. Our other culinary team called @Lenny_Cooks101, also placed tenth! Led by advisor Mr. Brandler, “Let Them Cook” will be going to nationals in May. What was the road to state first place like, and what was preparation like behind the scenes?
Success in representing the state of culinary requires a lot of hard work. Emma Johns, a senior, shared insight into the dedication that she and her teammates pour into culinary. “The last week of practice, we would stay super late, packing all our gear and finishing our recipes. It was hard to go home super late knowing you’d have to be back at school early in the morning, but it was for sure worth it.”
Team leader, Kaila Khoury, had a unique experience because she had extra responsibility. But she says that her teammates were amazing, and it was easy to lead them. “Some unique experiences that came with being a team leader was realizing that the job was not as difficult as I thought it would be. I definitely blame this on the fact that my teammates are such easy people to work with who always give me their respect.” She adds that they were all great teammates who contributed differently.
Nathaniel Inman, team manager of @Lenny_Cooks101, loved his experience in culinary. He enjoyed practices, the food, his teammates, and the whole experience. When ‘Let Them Cook’ won, Nathaniel could not stop crying. It touched everyone to see how happy he was for the success of his friends.
Winning state guaranteed San Dimas their spot in the national competition.
In the meantime, the culinary program is still keeping busy. A few weeks before nationals, they will be going a field trip to Edison. With all the hard work ‘Let Them Cook’ is currently dedicating to preparations, their potential for nationals is strong. Winning the state competition was an amazing accomplishment, and the team is looking forward to succeeding in nationals, too. Congratulations and best wishes to San Dimas High School’s culinary team!
