[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 7]
[House]
[Page 9100]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  WATAUGA HIGH SCHOOL PROSTART PROGRAM IS EXAMPLE OF INNOVATION DONE 
                                 RIGHT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. FOXX. Today, I want to highlight a remarkable group of North 
Carolina students from Watauga High School in my district. These 
students recently competed and won third place in the National ProStart 
Invitational in Overland Park, Kansas, after winning first place in the 
Carolinas' ProStart competition earlier this year. They are to be 
congratulated for this fantastic achievement, and I commend everyone 
from the parents and students to the teachers and mentors involved in 
this innovative educational program.
  ProStart is a nationwide, 2-year program for high school students 
that seeks to develop the next generation of restaurant and foodservice 
industry leaders. Students participating in the program learn 
everything from culinary techniques to management skills via a hands-on 
curriculum and real-world educational opportunities. By building 
practical professional skills, these students are investing in their 
future careers even while enrolled in high school.
  What's particularly impressive about this program is how it combines 
traditional high school programs with instruction from seasoned 
professionals in the foodservice and hospitality fields. This program 
is a wonderful model for how private sector companies can work with 
schools and students to offer tailor-made educational solutions that 
set students on the road to successful careers. In fact, in North 
Carolina alone, the ProStart program has educated more than 700 
students in 15 schools, with another 13 North Carolina schools set to 
join in the next year. Again, congratulations to everyone involved in 
Watauga High School's ProStart program for excelling in this national 
program and making your community proud.
  Mr. Speaker, one of the joys of serving in Congress is the 
opportunity to be at celebrations such as the one I attended last week 
during our district work period. The enthusiasm in the room at their 
celebration was infectious. A special congratulations goes to the four 
winning students: Emily Haas, Michael Haynes, Justin Byrum, and Eli 
Bradford. Of course, these accomplishments were facilitated by the 
support and hard work of Watauga High School ProStart teacher Lee Ann 
Williams and ProStart mentors Troy and Sandy Byrum of Troy's Restaurant 
in Boone, as well as David Gronewoller, a Golden Corral executive and 
owner, who sponsored the ProStart team. Paul M. Stone, Alyssa Barkley, 
and Susan Seay, who run the Statewide ProStart program, also deserve 
congratulations for supporting this successful program that is already 
producing talented and enthusiastic North Carolina students.

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