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Westlake High students showcase ProStart skills during Career and Technical Education Month
Summary
Students in Westlake High School’s ProStart program described hands-on cooking labs, state and national competition pathways, and career skills during Career and Technical Education Month; teachers highlighted the program’s fit with Alpine School District’s six C’s.
Westlake High School students and their ProStart teacher highlighted the school’s culinary Career and Technical Education (CTE) program this month, describing hands-on labs, local competitions and pathways to state and national ProStart contests that offer scholarships.
The ProStart instructor, Candace Wilson, said the class connects students to state ProStart contests and national competitions run through the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation and sponsored industry partners, and she emphasized the program’s alignment with the Alpine School District vision for learning. "Students learn the six C's: communicate, collaborate, be critical thinkers, be creative, and develop citizenship and character," Wilson said, adding that presentation and teamwork skills build confidence.
Students described classroom projects and competitive experiences. Cyrus Otley, a senior and Sterling Scholar for Family and Consumer Sciences, said the program taught both technical and interpersonal skills and supported his plans to study biological sciences at the University of Utah and pursue dentistry. "My current plan is to go to the University of Utah, studying biological sciences. My goal right now is to be a dentist," Otley said, noting that CTE coursework reinforced both hands-on and soft skills he expects to use in his career.
Another student, Mae Valgardson, a junior, described the baking-focused labs and a cookie competition she entered this year. She said her entry — a brown sugar cookie with white chocolate — won on criteria including taste, appearance and plating. Otley also pointed to a weekly class feature called Thunder Bakery: "Every Friday, that's a B day. We get to do Thunder Bakery, which is a really awesome experience where we make cinnamon rolls and cookies," he said.
Wilson noted that ProStart and related career and technical student organizations (such as SkillsUSA and FCCLA) provide competitive and scholarship opportunities for students who pursue culinary and hospitality pathways. She said corporate sponsors help fund national-level competitions and scholarship awards. The program is presented within the Alpine School District CTE framework and, according to speakers, emphasizes practical skills that transfer to many careers.
No formal decisions, funding changes or policy actions were recorded in the segment. Students and staff framed the discussion as a showcase of classroom learning, competition experience and career preparation.
