Joy Phillips displays her winning dishes during the state-wide culinary competition.
Jefferson State Culinary Student Joy Phillips recently earned top honors during the Alabama SkillsUSA Culinary Competition in Birmingham on April 9.
During the competition, each student developed a detailed food preparation plan and had all dishes ready within a 45-minute time frame. Contestants were rated on organization, knife skills, cooking techniques, creative presentation, sanitation food safety techniques, and above all the quality and flavor of their prepared items.
“Joy is a phenomenal student who excels in all areas of Jefferson State’s Culinary Program,” said Director of Jefferson State’s Culinary and Hospitality Institute Joseph Mitchell. “She brings a professional work ethic and attitude to both the classroom and kitchen every day. All of us are very proud of her accomplishment and we look forward to Joy competing at the national level.”
Phillips, of Odenville, attends the Shelby-Hoover Campus and maintains a perfect 4.0 GPA. She will travel to Louisville, Kentucky in June to compete in the national competition.
SkillsUSA is devoted to preparing students for postsecondary learning and careers in technical, skilled, and service occupations. Nationally, it serves over 300,000 high school, college, and professional members. Alabama has more than 10,000 high school and college members.
Current national statistics indicate the average salary for certified executive chefs exceed more than $75,000 annually.
To learn more about the new SkillsUSA Culinary Competition, contact Alabama State Department of Education Culinary Coordinator, Judy Brown, at (334) 242-9561 or visit www.skillsusa.org. To learn more about Jefferson State’s Culinary program, call (205) 983-5214 or visit www.jeffersonstate.edu/chi.
