Since 2015, Eden Career Tech students, formally known as Moody High School, have taken part in the Alabama ProStart Invitational to compete for college scholarships and bragging rights as the best of Alabama Young Chefs. This year was no exception.

With 52 high schools statewide having ProStart Programs in their schools, 20 cooking teams were chosen to compete this year at Perdido Beach Resort, with Eden students taking 3rd place in a hard-fought battle of the best. Each team member has received multiple scholarship offers to culinary institutions around the nation and opened doors to internships and jobs possibilities as they leave high school to pursue careers in the Culinary World.

Teams consist of four to five student chefs — the 5th being a manager — and must produce a restaurant quality appetizer, entree and dessert. Chefs have one hour to prepare the meal using only a camp stove, with no electricity or running water.

Kimoria Samuel started off the meal with crawfish ravioli in lemon dill sauce with a parmesan crisp. Michael Black and Peyton Griffen followed with an entree of Beef Wellington served with fresh vegetables and demi-glace sauce. Victoria Bailey finished the meal with a chocolate crepe cake filled with mocha/hazelnut mousse served with raspberry sauce and basil.

Bailey, Griffen and Samuel are seniors at Springville High School while Black is a Junior at St. Clair County High School.

ProStart is an extension of the National Restaurant Association in its Student Education Division which seeks to educate and empower students to further their education through jobs, internships and scholarships nationwide.