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HGTC Foundation Accepts Gift for Culinary Competition Team
Sea Captain’s House and Brittain Resorts Sponsor Culinary Students for Competition
(Pictured left to right) Joseph Lawson, HGTC Culinary Arts student; Chef Bill Twaler, HGTC Chef Professor; Dr. Marilyn M. Fore, HGTC President; David Crone, Corporate Director of Food and Beverage, Brittain Resorts & Hotels; Buzz Freeman, HGTC Foundation Chairman and Conway National Bank Senior VP; Chris Medlin, HGTC Culinary Arts student; Chef Gary Smith, Executive Chef at Sea Captains House; Chef Joe Czapla, HGTC Chef Professor; Chef Humberto Guardiola, HGTC Chef Professor
(CONWAY, SC) – The Horry-Georgetown Technical College (HGTC) Foundation is pleased to announce that the Sea Captain’s House and Brittain Resorts have donated a monetary gift of $5,500 for the Junior American Culinary Federation Competition Team. Select Culinary students at the HGTC International Culinary Institute (ICI) of Myrtle Beach will compete in the American Culinary Federation (ACF) National Convention in Dallas, Texas Sunday, July 19 through Thursday, July 23, 2020.
The National Convention is the site of the ACF Student Team National Championship where teams of students will prepare a four-course signature menu over a four-day period with the teams representing specific regions competing each day. The team scoring the highest from each region will be named the regional champion for their region, and the team with the highest overall score will earn the title of ACF National Champions.
“This is the first time that the ICI will be representing South Carolina on this culinary stage and showcasing southern cuisine at a very high level,” said Humberto Guardiola, Chef Professor at ICI. “As instructors, we are very excited to provide our students with the opportunity to cook at this level and in one of the most important culinary platforms in our nation.”
“HGTC International Culinary Institute has received support from the Sea Captain’s House from day one of the culinary program. Our students are able to attend this competition due in large part of their continued support and designation of Foundation funding for our Junior ACF Culinary Competition Team,” said Dr. Marilyn M. Fore, HGTC President.
“On behalf of the HGTC Foundation, I would like to thank Sea Captain’s House, Brittain Resorts, and the Brittain family; not only for their generous contributions to help our culinary students succeed but also for their participation on our Foundation Board of Directors from Mrs. Marie-Claire Brittain,” said Buzz Freeman, HGTC Foundation Board Chairman.
The HGTC ICI student team is comprised of Joe Czapla, Alydia Lamb, Tanner Lankford, Joseph Lawson, Chris Medlin.
Chris Medlin, ICI student pursuing a degree in Baking and Pastry Arts, expressed his thoughts in being chosen for this honor by saying, “It means the world to me to be selected as a member of the team. It’s one more step on this journey of hard work and dedication towards my vision. The most rewarding part is representing my school. I look forward to competing on this level and learning the self-awareness that will give me a skillset and knowledge to be successful in my chosen career path.”
The HGTC ICI of Myrtle Beach opened in 2017 and is a $15 million state-of-the-art facility. HGTC Culinary Arts programs are housed on the Grand Strand Campus and accredited by the ACF Educational Institute, and graduates are eligible for ACF certification