Cuisine Students Wins at State Competition

industrial kitchen with chefs — ^{A judge observes a Clark College student during the competition.}

At the 2025 Washington State Leadership and Skills Conference, students across the state demonstrated outstanding talent, passion, and professionalism in career and technical education.

I’m proud to share that our Cuisine Management students brought home both gold and silver medals at the 2025 SkillsUSA Culinary Championship, held on March 28 at Clover Park Technical College in Lakewood, Washington. Competing against the region’s top culinary students, our team rose to the challenge and represented Clark College with excellence.

We proudly earned both a gold and a silver medal in our respective culinary category. Congratulations to these McClaskey Culinary Institute students:

Adamaris Rodriguez: Gold Medal
Holly Spring: Silver Medal

About the competition

The competition encompassed both hot and cold food preparation and presentation. Competitors demonstrated their knowledge and skills through the production of menu items meeting industry standards.
Competitors were evaluated on organization, knife skills, cooking techniques, creative presentation, sanitation and food safety, and the quality and flavor of their prepared items.
College/post-secondary students worked from a market basket format and created their own menus using required fundamental cooking techniques.

plated food — _{Food plated by Clark students awaiting review by the judges.}

The final awards ceremony took place at the Hilton DoubleTree Hotel, where dozens of students were recognized for their excellence in various skills competitions. It was an incredible honor to stand among such dedicated competitors and to represent our program with distinction.

This achievement is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and passion for culinary arts that we strive for every day. We are incredibly grateful for the unwavering support of our mentors, instructors, managers and front-line support staff, and everyone who has contributed to our growth and success.

We are also happy to share that our articulation partner, Fort Vancouver High School, a community magnet skills high school, won gold in the baking category in the high school division. Fort Vancouver’s program is led by Chef David Finnie and Rebecca Angel.

Thank you for celebrating this milestone with us. We are proud of our students, and we look forward to continuing to push the boundaries of our craft and representing our program at the highest level.

National SkillsUSA Championships

_{A Clark student plates an entree during the competition.}

Next up: Nationals! We’re headed to compete at the National SkillsUSA Championships from June 23-27 in Atlanta, Georgia.

SkillsUSA’s National Leadership & Skills Conference (NLSC) is the largest gathering of America’s future skilled workforce and the ultimate recognition of excellence in career and technical education.

Held in Atlanta each June, the NLSC is a week-long celebration of the skilled trades and the accomplishments of career-ready leaders from across the United States. The event brings together more than 17,500 attendees, including students, instructors, industry partners, government officials, administrators and more.

The highlight of the NLSC is the SkillsUSA Championships, where more than 6,500 state champions compete for national gold, silver, and bronze medals in 114 skilled and leadership competitions.

Learn more:

Washington SkillsUSA Championships: https://skillsusawashington.org/
National SkillsUSA Championships: https://www.skillsusa.org/events/national-leadership-skills-conference

Photos submitted by Aaron Guerra.