Welcome to the 2025 NYS
ProStart Invitational!
This year is the 22nd Invitational the New York State Restaurant Association has held, hosting teams from New York State and Vermont.
Created by the National Restaurant Association, the ProStart Program is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills to explore careers in the hospitality industry. This event is the culmination of months of hard work and dedication by the students, leadership and guidance of the teachers, and support from the families and spectators.
Three Challenging Competitions
The NYSRA ProStart Invitational is composed of three distinct competitions – team management, team culinary, and individual gourmet Burger Battle – that showcase the most important skills needed on both sides of the restaurant and foodservice industry. For each respective competition, students must impress judges from leading industry organizations colleges
About The Invitational
Management
Management teams develop a proposal for the next prom concept and present it to a panel of industry judges. Nex , p solving skills are tested as they quickly solve challenges faced by managers daily.
Culinary
The culinary competition highlights each team’s creative abilities through the preparation of a three-course meal in 60 minutes, using only two butane burners, and without access to electricity. There is no room for error as they are evaluated on taste, skill, teamwork, safety and sanitation.
Gourmet Burger Battle
The Gourmet Burger Battle is an individual competition. Each competitor must create a unique and elevated burger, while being judged on presentation, safety & sanitation, degree of difficulty, appearance, and taste!
As students, it is no easy feat developing meals/menus and creating restaurant concepts. We admire and applaud your skills, teamwork, and ability to work under pressure. We hope you take pride in how far you have come and most importantly – don’t forget to have fun!
Without the leadership and resources provided by the teachers, this event would not be possible. The knowledge and guidance you have imparted on your students will stay with them forever. Please know that you are making a difference in their lives.
Thank you to our judges and volunteers who traveled from far and wide to
2025 Culinary Teams
Genesee Valley BOCES
Lucas DiGuardi | Quinton Hale | McKayla Malone | Savannah Morris | Made Coach: Robert Derin
GST BOCES: Coopers Education Center
Adrien Akins | Nicholas Antonio | Raiden Langensiepen | Keegan Samuelson | Evan Terry | Coach: Mary Campbell & Emily Knapp
Orleans Career & Technical Education Center
Emily Chambers | Tirsa Converso | Justine Fitzsimmons | Salena Wolf | Coach: James Atzrott & Sarah Ivory
Questar III: Donald R. Kline Technical School TEAM 1
Jayden Bolduc | Sebastian Dermott | Nicholas LaBounty | Marc Mena | Coach: Amanda Repko
Questar III: Donald R. Kline Technical School TEAM 2
Joseph Cooper | Alessa Dingman | Kaylee Lewis | Moriah Walker | Coach: Amanda Repko
Questar III: Robert H. Gibson Technical School TEAM 1
Hailey Bishop | Melody Gallerie | Alex Ploof | Jaquan Wright | Coach: Andrew Ottati
Questar III: Robert H. Gibson Technical School TEAM 2
Katelyn Bates | Elijah Boyo | Taylor Linscott | Jennifer Tracey | Coach: Andrew Ottati
River Bend Career & Technical Center TEAM 1
Cooper Day | Kaleb Johnson | Kaydin Lovely | Elijah Pinon | Zadian Walton | Coach: Trace Heidenreich
River Bend Career & Technical Center TEAM 2
Madison Balch | Summer Bolles | Lorelei St. Martin | Coach: Trace Heidenreich
River Valley Technical Center
Riley Edmond | William Emerson | Justin Jones | Jayden Smith | Miles Webster | Coach: David Groenewold
Southwest Tech
Kyle Calef | Harmony Hill | Joseph Morris | Riley Richardson | Daniel Wellspeak | Coach: Nick DeLauri & Hailey DeLauri
2025 Management Teams
Questar III: Donald R. Kline Technical School
Emilie Macchi | Autumn Maurer | Jiana McDonald | Madison Paul | Coach: Amanda Repko
River Bend Career & Technical Center
Tesia Kosakowski | Kota Sargent | Zadian Walton | Coach: Trace Heidenreich
Rockland BOCES
Moshe Kodsi | Sarah Lennon | Albana Zefi | Coach: Bridget Tat | Mentor: Dylan Perez
Southwest Tech
Jacob Horowitz | Isabella Marpe | Ariana Monegro | Gabriel Perkins | Coaches: Nick DeLauri, Hailey DeLauri
2025 Burger Battle Competitors
GST BOCES: Coopers Education Center
Crisandy Evangelista | Dante White | Coaches: Mary Campbell & Emily Knapp
Mount Vernon High School
Egypt-Simone Robinson | Raymond Gardner | Coach: Samantha Cohen
ONC BOCES: Northern Catskills
Occupational Center
Abigail Merwin | Kylie Liddle | Hailey
Temple | Coach: Jody Albano
ONC BOCES: Otsego Area Occupational Center
Emily Eilenberger | Natalie Hill | Maddix Lent | Coach: Gianna Levine
Questar III: Robert H. Gibson Technical School
Ariel Adams | Coach: Andrew Ottati
River Valley Technical Center
Juan Lopez | Coach: David Groenewold
St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES: Seaway Tech.
Makayla Collins | Sierra Huto | Sophie McDermott | Aiden Steenberg | Coach: Andrew Ostroski
St Lawrence-Lewis BOCES: Southwest Tech
Allysa Byrd | Avery Dion | Douglas Facey | Tiamane Hull | Kendra Murdie | Coach: Christine Cornell | Mentor: Jennifer Doerr
The Academy Charter School
Chase Bermudez-Sullivan | Gabrielle Boyce | Jasmine Felix | Darliana Luna | Jeanell
Magana | Jahneal Pierre-Louis | Jayden
Thomas | Coach: Chad Pagano
Culinary and Burger Battle J d
Pamela Adams | University of Massachusetts
Aleishe Baska | The Culinary Institute of America
Marcus Bianco | Ecolab
Jacob Brach | Rich Products
David Brough | Schenectady County Community College
Samantha Brown | Penn Highlands Healthcare
Don Bush | Marshall Street Bar & Grill/The Union Tavern
David Campbell | SUNY Cobleskill
Lumi Cirstea | The Culinary Institute of America
Dan Connor | Donovan’s Pub of Woodside
Nicolas Cortese | US Foods
Michael Coulter | Ecolab
Raymond Dawson | The Culinary Institute of America
Toni Donofrio | Westchester County Community College
Jason Eksterowicz | Aramark Sports & Entertainment, Citi Field
Chris Happel | Wegmans
Brian Hay | Zwilling
John Kapusta | Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Cynthia Keller | The Culinary Institute of America
Michael Lopez | Ecolab
Bruce Mattel | The Culinary Institute of America
Aaron Metras | Salena’s Mexican Restaurant
Mike Niccoli | Schenectady County Community College
Dennis Nittoli | Ecolab
Dominick Purnomo | Dominick Purnomo Restaurant Group
Yono Purnomo | Yono’s/dp an American Brasserie
Kareem Queeman | Monroe University
Andrew Rafferty | Union Square Events
Justin Reed | The United States Coast Guard
Jim Rhoads | Chef’s Solutions
Raymond Rose | Ecolab
Stephen Roth | DRG Hospitality Consultants
Don Sheneman | Vivreau Advanced Water Systems
Ian Sinda | DZ Restaurants
Michael Stamets | Sodexo
James Swenson | The United States Coast Guard
Bryan Tobias | The Culinary Institute of America
Jason Wallace | Hospitality Concepts, LLC
Caleigh Yacone | Glen Park Tavern
Management Judges
Nancy Bambera | DZ Restaurants
Tezra Bryant | The Restaurant MC
Kelly Bush | Marshall Street Bar & Grill/ The Union Tavern
Rob Free | Buffalo Bisons
Kevin Goggins | Outback Steakhouse
Ellie Grenauer | Glen Park Tavern
Heidi Larkin | Mazzone Hospitality
Jay Larkin | Schenectady County Community College
Gary Marmer | Force Ten Marketing
Taniedra McFadden | Sylvia’s Harlem Restaurant
Kelly Metras | Salena’s Mexican Restaurant
Kim Otis | Schenectady County Community College
Phil Palmisano | Golden Parachute Catering
Melissa Patel | Union Square Events
Kate Purnomo | Dominick Purnomo Restaurant Group
Bob Syracuse | Pizza Plant Italian Pub
John Urlaub | Rohrbach Brewing Company
Event Emcee: Kevin Scott
