State Champions: Inside Carlsbad High's Culinary Program

Carlsbad High School didn’t just win a state title this year. They won two — culinary and management, the first time CHS has swept both ProStart categories in the same year. Hattie went straight to the source: the Mountain Lion Studio hit the road to the CHS Culinary Arts Department the day after school let out, sitting down with instructor Amanda Hale and two of the students who helped get them there, Joslyn Frintz and David Balderrama. In this episode: Amanda Hale breaks down what ProStart actually is — Iron Chef rules for the culinary side (a 10-foot kitchen, two butane burners, no running water, no refrigeration), Shark Tank rules for management (pitch a fictional restaurant to judges like real investors) Joslyn talks through the dish that helped put Carlsbad on top, and the steep learning curve from her first year competing to this one David explains his role in keeping the team on time and on track during competition, and what changed in the team’s chemistry this year A conversation about long mornings, a first plane ride, a first trip to Whole Foods, and what it means to give teenagers a real taste of where their skills could take them. Part 2 of this series airs next week. Aired on KCCC 930 AM Radio and available through Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and through the Eddy County Dispatch (kccc930am.substack.com) or our website (www.kccc930am.com). The Eddy County Dispatch, presented by KCCC 930 AM, is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Already a subscriber? A one-time donation goes just as far. Get full access to KCCC Eddy County Dispatch at kccc930am.substack.com/subscribe