World鈥檚 Premier Culinary College Partners with ACT-SO to Offer Scholarships to Minority Students
Hyde Park, NY 鈥 The winner of the culinary competition at the NAACP鈥檚 Afro-Academic Cultural Technology & Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO) in July has earned a full-tuition scholarship to The Culinary Institute of America. Since 2012, the CIA has been offering scholarships to the winners, and this year the college has expanded its scholarship offers to the top three finishers, with a full ride for the winner in the culinary arts category.
鈥淲e are pleased to be able to increase our commitment to creating opportunities for minority students to pursue their career dreams,鈥 says CIA graduate, trustee emeritus, and retired faculty member Arnym Padmore-Solomon, who serves as CIA representative and judge for the ACT-SO culinary competition. 鈥淚n offering these scholarships, the CIA continues to stay true to our values and our mission.鈥
This year鈥檚 national competition took place in Detroit, MI on July 20. In addition to the full-tuition scholarship for culinary arts gold medalist Kelise Tyler of Kansas City, MO; silver medalist Leslie Montenegro of Prince George鈥檚 County, MD earned a $4,000-per-year renewable scholarship; and bronze medal winner Mylesha McCardell of Houston, TX will receive $3,500 per year if they enroll at the CIA. The college is also offering scholarships to each team member of the gold and silver medalists in the hospitality competition, from Houston and Kansas City.
For more than 40 years, ACT-SO has been recruiting, stimulating, and encouraging achievement among high school students of African descent and other ethnic minorities in fields such as sciences, technology, humanities, business, visual and performing arts, and culinary arts. Active in more than 200 communities nationwide, it is the largest academic promotion for minority youths in America. It is hoped that these scholarships provided by the CIA will help facilitate the growth of culinary talent among students from schools across the country.
Photo Captions and Hi-Res Images:
Top Photo: CIA trustee emeritus and retired faculty member Arnym Padmore-Solomon judging a competitor鈥檚 technique at the NAACP鈥檚 Afro-Academic Cultural Technology & Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO). The CIA has expanded its scholarship offers to the competition鈥檚 top finishers. (Photo credit: Courtesy Arnym Padmore-Solomon)
Photo 2: Arnym Solomon, trustee emeritus of The Culinary Institute of America, representing the college at the NAACP鈥檚 annual Afro-Academic Cultural Technology & Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO) competition. The CIA is now offering a full-tuition scholarship for the winner in the culinary arts category and larger scholarship awards for other top finishers in culinary arts and hospitality. (Photo credit: Courtesy Arnym Padmore-Solomon)
Media Contact:
Jeff Levine
Communications Writer
845-451-1372
Jeff.Levine@culinary.edu
About The Culinary Institute of America:
Founded in 1946, The Culinary Institute of America is the world鈥檚 premier culinary college. Dedicated to developing leaders in foodservice and hospitality, the independent, not-for-profit CIA offers master鈥檚, bachelor鈥檚, and associate degrees with majors in culinary arts, baking & pastry arts, food business management, hospitality management, culinary science, and applied food studies. The college also offers executive education, certificate programs, and courses for professionals and enthusiasts. Its conferences, leadership initiatives, and consulting services have made the CIA the think tank of the food industry and its worldwide network of more than 50,000 alumni includes innovators in every area of the food world. The CIA has locations in New York, California, Texas, and Singapore.
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