LRA Education Foundation awards $61K in scholarships

The Louisiana Restaurant Association Education Foundation (LRAEF) Board of Directors, through its Scholarship Fund, will award $61,000 in scholarships to 30 students to further their post-secondary culinary educations. The students will be presented with their awards at the 2014 LRAEF Five Star Futures Gala August 2, 2014 at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside.

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 more than $200,000 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: 

• Liana Aucoin, graduate of Slidell High School, attending Louisiana Culinary Institute
• Sabrina Bodenheimer, graduate of Lakeshore High School, attending the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University (second year recipient)
• Wade Bowers, graduate of Sulphur High School, attending  Louisiana Culinary Institute
• Victoria Cart, graduate of Sulphur High School, attending the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University (third year recipient)
• Bryan Tyler Day, graduate of West Monroe High School, attending Louisiana Culinary Institute
• Lauren Fendlason, graduate of Hammond High Magnet School, attending the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University (second year recipient)
• Jessica Foret, graduate of Grace King High School, attending Delgado Community College
• Tate Jones, graduate of Dutchtown High School, attending Johnson & Wales University
• Peyton Leffingwell, graduate of Destrehan High School/St. Charles Satellite Center, attending Louisiana Culinary Institute (second year recipient)
• Nicholas LoCicero, graduate of Mandeville High School, attending Culinary Institute of America (second year recipient)
• Jordan McClelland, graduate of Dutchtown High School, attending the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University (second year recipient)
• Melissa McGuire, graduate of Mandeville High School, attending the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University (third year recipient)
• Thien Nguyen, graduate of Dutchtown High School, attending the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University (third year recipient)
• Sadie Poche, graduate of Lutcher High School/St. James Career Center, attending the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University
• Hillary Scott, graduate of Allen High School (Texas), attending the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University (third year recipient)

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:

• Traci Andely, graduate of Baton Rouge Magnet High School, attending Louisiana Culinary Institute
• Sunni Authement, graduate of South Terrebonne High School, attending the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University
• Nicole Biddy, graduate of Gueydan High School, attending Louisiana Culinary Institute (second year recipient)
• Lindsey Carroll, graduate of Lutheran High School of Greater New Orleans, attending the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University
• Thaddeus Christy, graduate of Baton Rouge Magnet High School, attending Louisiana Culinary Institute
• Garrett Couvillon, graduate of Marksville High School, attending Louisiana Culinary Institute
• Rachel DeFelice, graduate of Grace King High School, attending the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University
• Tashira Green, graduate of Zachary High School, attending the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University
• Brooklyn Hawkins, graduate of H.L. Bourgeois High 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 (second year recipient)
• Keiyana Price, graduate of New Iberia Senior High, attending Louisiana Culinary Institute (second year recipient)
• Shelby Smith, graduate of False River Academy, attending Louisiana Culinary Institute
• Christian Sturgeon, graduate Zachary High School, attending Louisiana Culinary Institute
• Nicole Washington, graduate of Ursuline Academy, attending Louisiana Culinary Institute
• Marcus Williams, graduate of Scotlandville Magnet High School, attending Louisiana Culinary Institute

For the second consecutive year, 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 best part of my responsibilities as Chair of the LRA Education Foundation is to have the opportunity to reward students for their hard work,” said LRAEF Chair Helen LeBourgeois. “I have no doubt that these individuals will use these scholarships to strengthen the foodservice and hospitality industries in the coming years.”

ProStart Educator of the Year Carolyn Senac is
recognized at the NRA Educational Foundation
Educator of Excellence Awards Dinner in May. 

The night will also feature the LRAEF honoring its ProStart Educator of the Year, Carolyn Senac of Mandeville High School. Senac was also recently recognized, along with her 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 annual partners, whose financial assistance makes the LRAEF Scholarship Fund a reality: 5 Diamond: Acme Oyster House, Auto-Chlor Services, Louisiana Hospitality Foundation, Louisiana Restaurant Association and Louisiana Seafood; 4 Diamond: Performance Foodservice-Caro; 3 Diamond: Atmos Energy, Camellia Brand, Drago’s Seafood Restaurant, Louisiana Culinary Institute, New Orleans Wine & Food Experience and Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers; 2 Diamond: Chef Paul Prudhomme’s “Sea of Hope,” Louisiana Gas Association and Whole Foods Market and 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.