From left: Rolling Meadows High School students Ashlyn Ferguson,Vicki Domagala and Nico Ferrazzoulo with their coach Kimmi Krupicka.
The Rolling Meadows High School Culinary ProStart Team cooked up an impressive performance at the Illinois State Invitational, taking home second place in the highly competitive event. The team, consisting of seniors Ashlyn Ferguson and Vicki Domagala, and junior Nico Ferrazzoulo, showcased exceptional teamwork and culinary flair, earning scholarships from multiple culinary schools, a $500 check for their program and each received a prize bin of professional-grade tools, including a knife kit.
The students faced off against 12 other teams, including Technical College of DuPage, which has claimed first place for the past decade. Despite the strong competition, the Rolling Meadows team stood out for their innovative upscale Italian Mediterranean menu. Ashlyn, Vicki and Nico were judged by over 22 elite chefs from the Chicagoland area, including a judge from Iron Chef America.
“We organically picked the concept for Tramonto, which means sunset in Italian, since all three have strong roots in Europe. We then decided on a high-end Italian Mediterranean meal. We spent a month on recipe development and found the perfect balance of flavors,” said Coach Kimmi Krupicka. “You only get to use two camping butane stovetops, so you have to be strategic with what you choose to make. Then we went through it about eight times before the competition. Each time this team improved, and I looked forward to the tasting part because it was so good!”
This year’s competition format challenged each team to prepare a starter, main entrée and dessert in just one hour with limited equipment. The Rolling Meadows team rose to the occasion and produced an exceptional meal on the big day. Coach Krupicka also credited the support from mentors and the Rolling Meadows High School agriculture students, who provided fresh chives from the school’s greenhouse, adding a unique touch to their dish.
Rolling Meadows has placed second in the competition four times now. Since 2007, students have earned over $300,000 in scholarships through ProStart and other scholarship opportunities, with continued support from the National Restaurant Association's Educational Foundation.
This win was a standout moment for senior Ashlyn Ferguson, who said, “When I saw that we got second place, it felt like all of our hard work had finally paid off. I was super happy for our team.”
“The experience was a chance to prove to myself that I enjoy this and that I can thrive under pressure. It showed me that anything is possible if you put your mind to it,” added junior Nico Ferrazoulo.
Coach Krupicka emphasized how much this achievement meant for the team, saying, “This competition is elite, and I have never brought three Year 1 students, so I am extra proud of them. After working with all three this year in class, I knew they could handle the intensity and was excited when they committed. I'm grateful for all of their hard work.”