Greenville, Cairo-Durham students showcase culinary skills
Published on:
March 3, 2026
Pictured: Sebastian Dermott, Abby Hartmann, Autumn Maurer and Joseph Stern from Questar III BOCES earned 3rd place in the Culinary Arts Competition. Photo contributed.
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CASTLETON―Over the weekend, Questar III BOCES culinary students from the Donald R. Kline Technical School in Hudson and the Robert H. Gibson Technical School in Troy visited The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park to showcase their skills in the annual ProStart competition.
At the event, culinary students competed against other students in the New York and Vermont region in a Culinary Competition, the Gourmet Burger Battle, or the Management Competition.
One team from Donald R. Kline Technical School placed in the competition.
Culinary Competition 3rd Place: Sebastian Dermott (Hudson City School District), Abby Hartmann (Cairo-Durham Central School District), Autumn Maurer (Taconic Hills Central School District) and Joseph Stern (Greenville Central School District).
Robert H. Gibson Technical School student Bella Ainsworth (East Greenbush Central School District) placed 4th in the Burger Battle while a team from the school placed in the competition.
Culinary Arts Competition 2nd Place: Jadyn Chamberlain (Averill Park Central School District), Michelle Fontaine (Averill Park Central School District), Ryan Garrison (East Greenbush Central School District) and Desmond Pickens Harrison (Rensselaer City School District).
As part of the competition, those who placed received scholarships from many of the culinary schools in the northeast to use toward their continued education.
Questar’s Culinary Arts Program follows the ProStart curriculum sponsored by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. The curriculum teaches students the management and culinary skills needed for various career options in the hospitality industry. This two-year program provides students with both the academic content and the work-based learning experiences to be proficient in basic cooking and baking knowledge and skills.
