Yellowstone Times

Belgrade High School emerged victorious at the Montana ProStart Invitational, held on March 20 at Montana State University. The win secured their participation in the national competition set for May.

ProStart is a two-year program focusing on culinary and business management, designed to prepare high school students for industry roles through practical experiences such as catering events and competitions. Gallatin College MSU has hosted five state invitationals over the program's 27-year history.

Mike Dean, culinary arts program director for Gallatin College MSU, expressed admiration for the students' skills: “It’s amazing to see the high school kids come in with the skill level and the attention to detail they have... I think it’s a phenomenal program for young culinarians wanting to start out.”

Nine teams from across Montana competed by preparing a three-course meal within an hour using only a single butane burner. Belgrade High School's menu included dishes inspired by Indigenous ingredients, such as pan-seared bison tenderloin and applewood-smoked trout salad.

The competition began at 8 a.m., with student managers coordinating their teams in delivering dishes to judges who assessed them based on presentation, color, texture, and taste.

Jordan Collins, Montana ProStart coordinator and MSU faculty member, compared the competition's energy to that of a sporting event: “You see our students struggle a bit and then have the opportunity to be resourceful... It’s a beautiful thing to watch.”

Additionally, five teams participated in a business management contest where they pitched restaurant concepts. Belgrade High School's winning idea was a jazz club named Louis’ Lounge. Powell County High School and Skyview High School won second and third place respectively.

Belgrade's business management and culinary teams will attend ProStart’s national invitational in Baltimore from May 2-4. Top teams will receive academic scholarships.

According to Collins, by graduation, ProStart students will have gained significant service hours and certifications recognized by the Montana Restaurant Association Education Foundation. Several past competitors have continued their education at Gallatin College MSU's culinary program.

Dean emphasized Gallatin College's leadership role: “We are here to help the high schools and help the individual students develop their careers... creating those relationships with the students.”

MSU also hosted around 600 high school students for Montana Family, Career and Community Leaders of America competitions. Successful participants will proceed to the National Leadership Conference in Orlando this July.