LRA Education Foundation Awards $51k in Scholarships

Five Star Futures Gala will honor recipients and ProStart Educator of the Year

The Louisiana Restaurant Association Education Foundation (LRAEF) Board of Directors, through its Scholarship Fund, will award $51,000 in scholarships to 24 students to further their post-secondary culinary educations. The students will be presented with their awards at the 2013 LRAEF Five Star Futures Gala August 3, 2013 at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside. Tickets are available for purchase by visiting www.LRA.org, or by calling (504) 454-2277.

 

The LRAEF Scholarship Fund was created in 2009 to support the continuing education of ProStart^® students, industry educators and other students with an interest in culinary and hospitality studies. This financial support allows the recipients to pursue post-secondary education in the culinary or hospitality fields, with the goal of having them select Louisiana’s restaurant/hospitality industry as a career choice. Since its inception, the Scholarship Fund has awarded $140,000 to deserving students.

The LRAEF/NRAEF ProStart Scholarship is a co-branded scholarship given to students who have, or will receive the ProStart Certificate of Achievement. This year’s recipients are:

• Sabrina Bodenheimer, graduate of Lakeshore High School, will attend the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University
• Marissa Bourgeois, Lutcher High School/St. James Career & Tech Center, will attend Delgado Community College
• Nicholas Bye, graduate of East Ascension High School, will attend Louisiana Culinary Institute
• Victoria Cart, graduate of Sulphur High School, will attend the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University
• Lauren Fendlason, graduate of Ponchatoula High School/Hammond High Magnet School, will attend the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University
• Caitlin Hall, graduate of Hahnville High School, will attend the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University
• Lauren Hodgson, graduate of Salmen High School, will attend Louisiana Culinary Institute
• Peyton Leffingwell, graduate of Destrehan High School/St. Charles Satellite Center, will attend Delgado Community College
• Nicholas Locicero, graduate of Mandeville High School, will attend Culinary Institute of America
• Melissa McGuire, graduate of Mandeville, will attend the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University
• Thien Nguyen, graduate of Dutchtown High School, will attend the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University
• Christina O’Brien, graduate of Lutcher High School/St. James Career & Tech Center, will attend Louisiana Culinary Institute
• Hillary Scott, graduate of Allen High School (Texas), will attend the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University

The General Hospitality Scholarship is a scholarship given to students who are currently enrolled or have been accepted in a hospitality or culinary degree seeking program. This year’s recipients are:

• Kathryn Barker, graduate of Quitman High School (Mississippi), attending Louisiana Culinary Institute
• Jordale Bergeron, graduate of Livonia High School, attending Louisiana Culinary Institute
• Nicole Biddy, graduate of Gueydan High School, attending Louisiana Culinary Institute
• Jonathan Dent, graduate of Huntington High School/Caddo Career Center & Tech Center, attending the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University
• Lindsay King, graduate of Woodlawn High School, attending Louisiana Culinary Institute
• Mary Lawrence, graduate of Abeka Christian Academy (Home School), attending Louisiana Culinary Institute
• April Lee, graduate of East St. John High School, attending the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University
• Jordan McClelland, graduate of Dutchtown High School, attending Louisiana Culinary Institute
• Angel Parrilla, graduate of East St. John High School, attending Art Institute of Houston
• Keiyana Price, graduate of New Iberia Senior High, attending Louisiana Culinary Institute
• Jamie Warrick, graduate of Warren Easton High School, attending Louisiana Culinary Institute

Top applicant Nicole Biddy is also this year’s Jim Funk Scholarship Award Winner. The LRAEF’s most prestigious award, the scholarship is named for former LRA President & CEO Jim Funk, who retired in 2010 after 30 years of service. Funk is a LRAEF co-founder and culinary education champion.

“The LRAEF Board of Directors is thrilled to reward the hard work of these twenty-four students with funds from our Scholarship Fund,” said LRAEF Chair Fabian Castillo. “Post-secondary education makes a real difference in a future career. We are all very proud of the recipients and know that their commitment to the foodservice industry will make it that much stronger in the coming years.

The night will also feature the LRAEF honoring its ProStart Educator of the Year, Jeryl Fischtzuir of Grace King High School. Fischtzuir was also recently recognized, along with his counterparts from across the country, at the National Restaurant Association’s annual NRA Show in Chicago this past May, for this exemplary dedication to the ProStart program.

The LRAEF would like to thank its ProStart Partners, whose financial assistance makes the LRAEF Scholarship Fund a reality: 5 Diamond: Auto-Chlor Services, Louisiana Hospitality Foundation, Acme Oyster House and Louisiana Seafood; 4 Diamond: Performance Foodservice-Caro; 3 Diamond: Louisiana Culinary Institute, Atmos Energy, New Orleans Wine & Food Experience; 1 Diamond: Entergy. 

 

Also, the LRAEF extends special recognition to all LRA chapters that support ProStart and the LRAEF through its various philanthropic activities throughout the year.