They say too many cooks can spoil the soup; however, in the case of Patriot High School’s Culinary Program, 31 students from three local high schools: Patriot, Brentsville and Battlefield, blended their creativity and quick thinking to win five victories in culinary improve competitions.
Five teams representing the Patriot High School’s Culinary Specialty Program traveled to Disney World to compete in an international cooking competition at Epcot Center, this April. They returned with five top-tier awards!
“Cook Around the World,” described as “a smorgus board of creativity & teamwork,” featured Food Network celebrity chef Jet Tila and 1,000 student participants from all over the U.S.
Patriot High School culinary instructor Emily Stevenson instructor explained that Patriots teams have won awards before, but this year’s classes took the cake.
“This was our ninth trip to compete at Disney’s ‘Cook Around the World,’ and I can wholeheartedly say that this group really carried the legacy of prior teams very well,” Stephenson said. “I am deeply proud of these students; they are the future of culinary excellence.”
She credits teamwork with her students’ success.
“Even though three PWCS schools were represented on our teams, you would have never known it,” said Stevenson, of her juniors, and Class of 2024 graduating seniors, “and it was absolutely wonderful to see that in action.”
The CTE program entered five teams in three continent-themed competitions in which they had to perform not only for Chef Jet Tila, but also culinary instructors from UCF (Rosen School of Hospitality), Valencia College, Johnson and Wales, Escoffier School and the American Culinary Federation in Florida.
The pressure was on! Much like a television cooking competition, students did not know ahead of time what they would cook.
“It is an improvisational competition, so the continent we are cooking from is a mystery until we arrive at the competition venue,” said Stevenson.
Students were further challenged by having to include staples in their dishes, drawing from a limited pantry. It took knowledge, experience, flexibility and cooperation to pull everything together in 90 minutes, not to mention cool headedness.
Some teams would fall apart under the pressure, but the Patriot team members supported each other throughout the challenge.
“I couldn’t have done it without my team- no, literally, Matthew Santee saved our dish several times,” said Maeryn Boyles, junior, Patriot.
Students and chaperones spent four nights and five days in Disney World. The combination of competing and visiting the iconic theme park created an experience students say they will not soon forget.
“I will never forget the anticipation while competing or the feeling of winning the awards. Disney is a memory I will cherish for the rest of my life and a story I will never stop telling,” Boyles said.
Her classmates agreed.
“Personally, for me, Disney was about the entire experience rather than just the competition. I felt that I had the most fun after the competition because it was such a bonding experience for our whole team that everyone was so close after it,” said Zayden Snoots, a junior at Brentsville District High School.
Snoots continued. “We could laugh and ride all the rides we wanted, but the stress of the competition wasn’t necessarily a bad thing; it meant we cared. We cared so much about how our food came out and how our team did, we almost forgot we had been in Virginia three days before.”
Stevenson explained CTE programs can prepare students for success after high school and this year is no different for recent graduates. “This competition solidifies that choice for a great deal of them.”
She reminds people that cooking is not only an art but an essential life skill.
“Everyone, and I do mean everyone, needs to eat. Daily. This class, this program, this environment teaches them how to do this for themselves in a healthy and efficient way,” Stevenson said.
She hopes Prince William high school students will consider enrolling in Patriot High School’s culinary program either as a career path or a path to a more satisfying existence.
“Taking care of yourself and the ones you love through food…everyone can achieve that goal if they take our culinary program classes!”
Some teams would fall apart under the pressure, but the Patriot team members supported each other throughout the challenge.
“I couldn’t have done it without my team- no, literally, Matthew Santee saved our dish several times,” said Maeryn Boyles, junior, Patriot.
Students and chaperones spent four nights and five days in Disney World. The combination of competing and visiting the iconic theme park created an experience students say they will not soon forget.
“I will never forget the anticipation while competing or the feeling of winning the awards. Disney is a memory I will cherish for the rest of my life and a story I will never stop telling,” Boyles said.
Her classmates agreed.
“Personally, for me, Disney was about the entire experience rather than just the competition. I felt that I had the most fun after the competition because it was such a bonding experience for our whole team that everyone was so close after it,” said Zayden Snoots, a junior at Brentsville District High School.
Snoots continued. “We could laugh and ride all the rides we wanted, but the stress of the competition wasn’t necessarily a bad thing; it meant we cared. We cared so much about how our food came out and how our team did, we almost forgot we had been in Virginia three days before.”
Stevenson explained CTE programs can prepare students for success after high school and this year is no different for recent graduates. “This competition solidifies that choice for a great deal of them.”
She reminds people that cooking is not only an art but an essential life skill.
“Everyone, and I do mean everyone, needs to eat. Daily. This class, this program, this environment teaches them how to do this for themselves in a healthy and efficient way,” Stevenson said.
She hopes Prince William high school students will consider enrolling in Patriot High School’s culinary program either as a career path or a path to a more satisfying existence.
“Taking care of yourself and the ones you love through food…everyone can achieve that goal if they take our culinary program classes!”
Stacy Shaw originally wrote the article to run in the Gainesville Haymarket Lifestyle Magazine. Find more local features in GHLM.
Thank you to Meghan Silas, of Prince William County Schools' department of communications, with her assistance with the article.
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