Thursday, March 28, 2024

Greater Dallas Restaurant Association awards $72,000 in scholarships to local culinary students

scholarship winner
Scholarship winner scholarship winner

The Greater Dallas Restaurant Association awarded 19 culinary students $72,000 in scholarships last week at the 2013 GDRA scholarship dinner. The selected deserving students are pursing studies in either post-secondary culinary or restaurant management education. Leaders in the restaurant industry fund the scholarships and present the awards to the students at the annual dinner.

“We are always so excited to assist and reward these hardworking students,” said Dotty Griffith, Executive Director of the Greater Dallas Restaurant Association. “These students are the future of the culinary industry and our partners are very supportive of them. We are incredibly proud of each student and all they have accomplished.”

Greater Dallas Restaurant Association is able to grant scholarships thanks to its founders club partners Admiral Linen, Andrews Distributing, Ben E. Keith Company, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, Hardie’s Fruit & Vegetable, Heartland Payment Systems, Medical City Heart, SmartLink Managed Network Solutions, Sysco and US Foods.

Patrick Garcia of Rockwall High School received the Gus Katsigris Scholarship of $10,000 for four semesters of school, and the recipients of the Matt Martinez, Jr. Memorial Scholarship ($5,000 for two semesters) were Christian Harper from Allen High School and Elizabeth Seitz from Richardson High School.

Dunia Borga, co-owner and pastry chef of La Duni, was the keynote speaker at the annual dinner. Borga accredits much of her success to the personal training and care her professors and mentors in the culinary industry showed her.

“I wouldn’t be where I was today without the wonderful education I received,” said Borga. “It is wonderful to see these kids be able to further their education in something they love.”

scholarship dinner

Students winning additional GDRA Founders Club Scholarships are: Latina Dawn, El Centro College (GDRA Endowment); Carina Vazquez, Skyline High School (GDRA Endowment); Monique Conejo, The Colony High School (sponsored by Admiral Linen); Rachel Diel, Johnson & Wales University (sponsored by Admiral Linen); Corey Beverly, El Centro College (sponsored by Admiral Linen);  Andrew Greenleaf, Allen High School (sponsored by Dr. Pepper Snapple Group); Martin Diaz-Margoliner, Royse City High School (sponsored by Dr. Pepper Snapple Group)

Amanda Leavell, Billy Ryan High School (sponsored by Heartland Payment Systems); Brandy McKinney, Denton High School (sponsored by Heartland Payment Systems); Nicole Hathaway, Johnson & Wales University (sponsored by Andrews Distributing); Brenda Fabela, Irving High School (sponsored by Ben E. Keith); Kelli Smith, Tarleton State University (sponsored by Hardie’s Fruit & Vegetable); Justin Webb, Allen High School (sponsored by Medical City Heart); Hillary Scott, John Folse Culinary Institute (sponsored by SmartLink Managed Network Solutions); Lauren Domingos, Richardson High School (sponsored by Sysco); and Kristi Vaughan, University of North Texas (sponsored by US Foods).

 

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