TA News

Thetford Academy students Madison Balch and Lorelei St. Martin, both studying Culinary Arts at River Bend Career and Technical Center, recently earned top honors at the VT/NY ProStart Invitational. Hosted by the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY, the event is an unique opportunity for culinary arts students to show off what they’ve learned in their program.

Madison and Lorelei, along with their two non-TA teammates, won first place in ProStart’s restaurant management competition. Their presentation of a comprehensive restaurant concept to a panel of industry judges was evaluated on the team’s ability to develop and communicate a viable restaurant plan, and demonstrate skills in marketing, staffing, operations, and financial planning. In addition, Madison and Lorelei took home third place in the Culinary Cooking competition. Lorelei shared her pride in the team’s success. “I think these competitions are good experiences for my senior year. Last year, we participated in the regional contest, but didn’t get this far.”

The teams’ strong showing earned them the opportunity to advance to the National ProStart Invitational, the premier secondary school competition for restaurant management and culinary arts, which will be held April 24–26, 2026, at the Marriott Baltimore Waterfront in Baltimore, Maryland. There, they will represent Vermont and RBCTC on a national stage, competing against top teams from across the country and showcasing the high level of professionalism, creativity, and career readiness.