Maryland ProStart Student Wins National Award

The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) and the Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance (MFHA) have awarded $2,500 scholarships to each of five outstanding high school and undergraduate students looking to pursue a career in the restaurant and foodservice industry.  The recipients were recognized and presented with their scholarships during MFHA’s Multicultural Talent Summit in Chicago on August 11, 2008. The scholarships are designed to help students further their education in the industry and support restaurant and foodservice industry diversity efforts.  One of the five scholarships was sponsored by the Joni and Wallace Doolin scholarship endowment, established through the NRAEF. To download photos from the event, visit http://www.nraef.org/headline/nraef_mfha.asp.

The following students were awarded $2,500 NRAEF/MFHA diversity scholarships:
* Mollie Irvin, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA 
* Felipe Martinez, Pueblo Community College, Pueblo, CO 
* Derek Walker, University of Alabama, Hinesville, GA 
* Edson Miranda, Sherwood High School, Olney, MD 
* Zina Santos, Orlando Culinary Academy, Kissimmee, FL

“The NRAEF is proud to partner with MFHA in awarding these scholarships to these five exceptional individuals,” stated Linda Bacin, chairman of the Board of Trustees, NRAEF. “The NRAEF is dedicated to building a talented and diverse workforce for the restaurant and foodservice industry, and together with MFHA, we are able to assist these future leaders, who come from a variety of backgrounds and cultures, achieve their dreams of a life-long career in our great industry.”

“MFHA and the NRAEF share a common goal.  We want to recognize and reward talented young people from diverse and multicultural backgrounds who are pursuing careers in our industry,” said Gerry Fernandez, president and founder, MFHA. “It’s thrilling to see our future leaders being congratulated and encouraged by industry icons such as those from the NRA and NRAEF.”  
 
Since 2004, the NRAEF and MFHA have partnered to offer scholarships to talented high school and undergraduate students coming from diverse backgrounds.  To be eligible for this outstanding award, students must plan to pursue a career in the restaurant and foodservice industry, while excelling academically.  As part of the award, the scholarship recipients attend MFHA’s Annual Multicultural Talent Summit.

This year MHEF also awarded Edson the top scholarship of $5,000 from the Marcia S. Harris Legacy Fund and $3,000 from the MHEF / NRAEF Co-Branded scholarship.  Edson was on the culinary team from Sherwood High School that placed third in the 2008 Maryland ProStart Student Invitational.

Edson is one of Maryland's great ProStart success stories and we are looking forward to keeping up with him as he pursues his culinary education at Kendall College in Chicago.