Up Close with CC Minton: C-CAP Awards NYC Public School Students & Alumni

At the Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP) New York Awards Breakfast, C-CAP President Susan Robbins alongside C-CAP Founder & Chairman Richard Grausman presented more than $750,000 in scholarships and cash awards to 21 high school seniors and alumni at the Pierre Hotel on Friday, April 17^th. Featured guests and speakers included NYC Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña and Executive Chef of Café Boulud Aaron Bludorn. C-CAP will award over $3,000,000 nationwide in 2015

Dedication to the culinary arts and good grades served-up full-tuition scholarships for two Queens natives, valued at more than $100,000 each. Darwin Acosta, Food & Finance High School student in Manhattan will pursue his Bachelors Degree at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, NY and Emily Tepoz, Long Island City High School (Queens) student, will study at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island.

Daniel Goodridge, also from Long Island City High School, received $58,110 in scholarships, including full-tuition to earn his Associates Degree at the CIA. Full-tuition Associates Degree scholarships to attend Monroe College in New Rochelle, NY, each valued at $51,360, were awarded to Emily Caraballo of Port Richmond High School (Staten Island), and Alissa Merino of Manhattan’s Food & Finance High School. Also representing Manhattan, Mimi Chen from the High School of Hospitality Management received a full-tuition scholarship to the International Culinary Center (ICC), valued at $48,750 and Soledad Navarrete of the School of Cooperative Technical Education won a $37,000 full-tuition scholarship to the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE).

Outstanding C-CAP alumni were also awarded scholarships at the ceremony. Kayla Gore received the Drexel University Full-Tuition Transfer Scholarship, valued at $89,292. Yvan Lemoine, Chef de Cuisine at Bodega Negra in Manhattan, received the Daniel Boulud Full-Tuition scholarship to the institute Paul Bocuse in Lyon, France, where he will study for five weeks beginning in May.

Scholarships awarded ranged in value from $3,000 to more than $100,000 to attend some of the most prestigious culinary schools in the country.  Some students also received C-CAP Education Scholarships, cash awards to help defray the costs of books, supplies, housing, and other expenses while at school.

C-CAP’s cooking competitions for scholarships are the culmination of the C-CAP high school program for underserved teenagers at risk of leaving high school without job or college prospects. 2015 marks a milestone for C-CAP as it celebrates its 25^th anniversary of transforming lives through the culinary arts. This momentous year highlights the program’s dedication and commitment to helping thousands of qualified students across the country from culinary education to guidance and support in their fulfilling careers in a growing industry.

2015 SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS LIST

Food and Finance High School (Manhattan):

• Darwin Acosta, CIA Bachelors Degree Full-Tuition Scholarship/ New York Association of Cooking Professionals Scholarship in Honor of Jerry Huven/CIA Community College Scholarship
• Victoria Helwig, Les Dames d’Escoffier NY – Florence Griffin Memorial Scholarship /NY C-CAP Education Scholarship/Avero Externship
• Sarah Lau, Foundation Scholarship/Natalie Toedter Scholarship
• Kristopher Lopez, Hands-On Food Inc. Scholarship / American Institute for Cancer Research Scholarship
• Luis Mendez, Barbara and Alan Washkowitz Scholarship
• Alissa Merino, Monroe College Full-Tuition Associates Degree Scholarship
• Vanessa Munoz, Judy and Stanley Zabar Scholarship
• Grismeldi Ortiz, Deborah and Bill Ryan Scholarship
• Kristen Tsui, Elizabeth Alston Scholarship and NY C-CAP Education Scholarship 
• Harry S. Truman High School (Bronx):
• Amia Chase, The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill Associates Degree Half-Tuition Scholarship
• Araina Chase, Harlem Jazz Enterprises Scholarship
• Amanda Norris, ICC Half-Tuition Scholarship/Avero ICC Scholarship
• High School of Hospitality Management (Manhattan):
• Mimi Chen, ICC Full-Tuition Scholarship /NY C-CAP Education Scholarship
• George Westinghouse High School (Brooklyn):
• Cierra Diaz, NY C-CAP Education Scholarship
• Long Island City High School (Queens):
• Leon Joshua “LJ” Delos Reyes, Dr. Patricia S. Bartholomew Scholarship/Daniel Boulud New York City College of Technology Apprenticeship/Avero Externship
• Daniel Goodridge, CIA Full-Tuition Associates Degree Scholarship/CIA Community College Scholarship/NY C-CAP Education Scholarship
• Emily Tepoz, Johnson & Wales University Full-Tuition Bachelors Degree Scholarship
• Giovanni Angel Torres, Jeff Samuels Scholarship/Daniel Boulud New York City College of Technology Apprenticeship 
• Port Richmond High School (Staten Island):
• Emily Caraballo, Monroe College Full-Tuition Associates Degree Scholarship 
• New Dorp High School (Staten Island):
• Raymond Zumba, NY C-CAP Education Scholarship 
• School of Cooperative Technical Education (Manhattan):
• Soledad Navarrete, ICE Full-Tuition Scholarship 
• Alumni Scholarships
• Kayla Gore, Drexel University Full-Tuition Transfer Scholarship
• Rachel Lansing, Ruby et Violette, ICE/Dessert Professional Advanced Pastry Studies
• Yvan Lemoine, Bodega Negra, Daniel Boulud Full-Tuition to Institut Paul Bocuse
• Said Merfouk, Porter House NY, ICE/Dessert Professional Advanced Pastry Studies
• Yesica Salazar, Thalassa Restaurant, ICC Half-Tuition/Avero ICC
• Mame Sow, Minton’s and The Cecil, ICE/Dessert Professional Advanced Pastry Studies
• Ja-Laurel Torres, Whole Foods Market, ICE/Dessert Professional Advanced Pastry Studies
• Patrice Vassel, Telepan, ICE/Dessert Professional Advanced Pastry Studies

PHOTO CREDIT:  Jerry Ruotolo Photography

For more information, visit www.ccapinc.org.

Up Close with CC Minton: C-CAP Awards NYC Public School Students & Alumni