LRCC Culinary Students Medal at SkillsUSA Championships

Two LRCC culinary students made their community proud by earning medals at the 2022 SkillsUSA Championships.

Last month in Atlanta, Georgia, more than 6,500 students competed at the career and technical education showcase. The SkillsUSA Championships is the largest skill competition in the world and covers 1.79 million square feet, equivalent to 31 football fields or 41 acres. Students were invited to the event to demonstrate their technical, workplace, and personal skills in hands-on competitions involving an array of trades, including one of LRCC’s popular programs, Culinary Arts. Second-year Pastry Arts student Starr Perry was awarded a silver medal in the Job Skill Demo A category. Perry was given some of the highest marks and impressed the panel with her presentation on “How to plate a cold and hot dessert.” This timed instruction was judged on knowledge, public speaking, poise, and ability to teach. Perry will continue her culinary education at LRCC in the fall and plans to open a bakery when she graduates. Arianna Roberts recently completed degrees in Pastry Arts and Culinary Arts and was awarded a bronze medal in the Commercial Baking category. This rigorous challenge included baking an array of pastries to professional standards. Some tasks assigned were cake decorating, breads and rolls, puff pastry, apple galettes, jalapeño muffins, and pastry cream. Competitors were judged on presentation, color, crumb structure, weight, and consistency. Roberts placed third among twenty commercial bakers in this category. Her plans include mastering pastry, traveling, and becoming a culinary educator. Both Perry and Roberts had previously placed first in their categories for the New Hampshire state competition, earning gold medals. Chef Bob McIntosh, an adjunct at the college, served as a mentor for these students. This year, McIntosh celebrated both his 20th year attending SkillsUSA and his first student medals. “While I was available to help with expectations, timing, and practicing, the credit all goes to these two amazing culinarians. Their talent, attitude, and ability to perform under pressure are rare and deserve to be recognized. I’m so proud of them,” said McIntosh when asked about his role in the competition. The community at LRCC would like to congratulate these students on a job well done. “To see our students succeed in this way is why we do what we do. All the credit goes to them. We are the lucky ones that get to help discover their passions and see their skills grow,” said Chef William Walsh, Department Chair of Culinary Programs. About Lakes Region Community College Lakes Region Community College is a fully accredited, not-for-profit, community college located in Laconia, New Hampshire. They offer a variety of college degree and certificate programs, training programs, and even dual-enrollment opportunities for NH high school students looking to get an early start on their college credits. For more information, visit www.lrcc.edu. About SkillsUSA SkillsUSA is a nonprofit partnership of education and industry founded in 1965 to strengthen our nation’s skilled workforce. Driven by employer demand, SkillsUSA helps students develop necessary personal and workplace skills along with technical skills grounded in academics. This SkillsUSA Framework empowers every student to succeed at work and in life, while helping to close the skills gap in which millions of positions go unfilled. Through SkillsUSA’s championships program and curricula, employers have long ensured schools are teaching relevant technical skills, and with SkillsUSA’s new credentialing process, they can now assess how ready potential employees are for the job. For more information: www.skillsusa.org.