APS News Release

Career Center Student Wins Full Scholarship to the Culinary Institute of America

Culinary Arts Student Sajith UdumalagaScholarship Valued at More that $120,000
Additional Students Earn Scholarships

Yorktown High School senior and Career Center Culinary Arts student Sajith Udumalaga earned a full-tuition scholarship valued at $122,450 to the Culinary Institute of America. Throughout the 2018-19 school year, students in the Arlington Career Center Culinary Arts & Science Program have participated in the Careers Through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP) Culinary Scholarship Competition.

Through a holistic approach to culinary training and career exploration, C-CAP DC Metro Region Chef Coordinator Troy Williams and Program Coordinator Yvette Williams partnered with the Career Center Chef Renee Randolph and Instructional Assistant Bethany Solano to prepare students for the workplace through chef mentoring, field trips, job shadows, work experience and job training, and college and career advising.

The students participated in the year-long program that culminated with the Culinary Competition Finals held on Sat, March 16 at Oxon Hill High School. The ACC Culinary Students competed against 25 finalist from high schools across the DC Metro region. The months of training and practice paid off, and the students of ACC Culinary turned in an outstanding performance on Competition Day.  

Career Center Culinary Arts StudentsFour additional Career Center students earned scholarships as well. They include:

  • Frida Angelès Galvan – Junior, Washington Lee High School: College Exploration 4-Day Summer Bootcamp Scholarship ($400) to the Culinary Institute of New at Monroe College
  • Allison Ferrell – Senior,  Wakefield High School: C-CAP Education Scholarship – $1,000 (Major in Culinary Arts at Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts in Austin, TX)
  • Jazmine Davis – Senior, Washington Lee High School: C-CAP Education Scholarship – $1,000  (Major in Business Administration at Howard University)
  • Nathaly Hernandez Castro – Senior Wakefield High School: C-CAP Education Scholarship – $1,250 (Major in Culinary Arts at Northern Virginia Community College)