Seniors Bryce
Gillum and Myron Barnhill-Rankin are involved in state culinary arts
competition through SkillsUSA. One culinary
arts senior has represented Mansfield Senior High in spring SkillsUSA Ohio
competition in Columbus. Another senior will compete later this month.
Bryce Gillum
demonstrated his baking skills during a grueling six-hour marathon at Columbus
State Community College in March.
On April 24
Myron Barnhill-Rankin will have three hours to prepare and serve a complete
chicken dinner at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.
Gillum was
required to bake muffins, rolls, a pie, a cake and cookies during the six-hour
event that included competitors from schools that teach only baking. The Senior
High programalso teaches all aspects of
food preparation and cooking.
“Bryce did
not place, but he did exceptionally well,” said Chef Tom Blike, Senior High
culinary instructor, who accompanied Gillum to the contest.
Gillum, who
is on Senior High’s Merit Roll (3.3-3.69 GPA), will enroll in the culinary arts
program at the Bradford School in Columbus in July. His career goal is to
become a chef on a cruise ship.
Barnhill-Rankin
will travel to Columbus with Chef Ed Golden on April 24 when he competes
against culinary students from 18 other schools.
“Within
three hours Myron must prepare chicken stock, demonstrate how to properly cut
up a chicken, then cook and sautee the chicken,” Blike said. “He also will be
required to prepare risotto (a northern Italian creamy rice dish), vegetables
and a salad.”
Barnhill-Rankin,
who is on Senior High’s Honor Roll (3.7-4.0 GPA), hopes to have his own
restaurant someday.
Sanitation
and knife skills are part of all culinary competitions.
SkillsUSA
serves more than 335,000 students and instructors in Career Tech programs
across the country. Senior High became a chapter member last fall.
The organization’s mission statement says: “SkillsUSA empowers its members to become world-class workers, leaders and responsible American citizens. SkillsUSA improves the quality of our nation’s future skilled workforce through the development of Framework skills that include personal, workplace and technical skills grounded in academics.”