Former ProStart Student Establishs Career

There’s one in every restaurant kitchen—a cook who is friendly, good-humored, a bit of a class clown, but downright serious when it comes to their job. They may be short or tall, thin as a reed, or wide as a hug. In the large and airy kitchen of the RitzCarlton New Orleans’s M Bistro, his given name is Jason Flato, but everyone calls him Rosie.

Fair-skinned Flato was bestowed his nickname soon after his co-workers noticed how quickly his cheeks bloomed near the hot kitchen equipment. It’s a heat he has enjoyed since his days in Carolyn Senac’s ProStart^® class at Mandeville High School.

“In high school, I really wasn’t sure what I wanted to do [as a career],” Flato confessed. “But then I took ProStart and really enjoyed it. I realized I wanted to be a chef.”

ProStart is a nationwide, two-year program high school program that unites the classroom and industry to develop the best and bright talent into tomorrow’s restaurant and foodservice leaders. The LouisianaRestaurant Association Education Foundation (LRAEF) administers the program in Louisiana, where it is currently offered in 50 schools.