Culinary students at Ben Barber Innovation Academy are taking their talents to the state level.

At the Texas ProStart® Regional Invitational in Frisco, the restaurant management team finished in first place for the fourth year in a row. The team was judged on set up, concept, menu, operations and marketing.

The culinary arts team finished in third place. Those students received scores based on production, cooking, presentation, taste, menu and clean up.

Both Mansfield ISD teams will advance to the ProStart® State Competition, which will take place March 27-28 in San Antonio. Congratulations to the following team members:

Restaurant Management Team

• Kaiya Stroy
• KaEssence Savannah
• Ka’Ryne Bynum
• Jasmin Baker

Culinary Arts Team

• Ishika Kothari
• Emilee Malave Ó
• Grace DiGiorgio
• Clayton Redmon
• Alexander Lynch

The sponsors of MISD’s ProStart® teams are Chef David Roberson and Chef Jacquelyn Baker-Roberson.

ProStart® is a nationwide program that reaches nearly 140,000 students in more than 1,800 high schools. The program aims to prepare students for careers in the restaurant and foodservice industry by giving them valuable restaurant and foodservice skills through academic and workplace experience.