The short order kitchen at Fox Valley Technical College is humming with energy. Knives slice through tomatoes and walnuts with precision, while the snap of oil hitting a pan competes with the rhythmic whir of a blender.
This is the scene on Friday mornings as a team of students and instructors prepare for the upcoming American Culinary Federation (ACF) Central Regional Qualifier Competition on March 20, 2026.
For these students, competing isn’t a graduation requirement — it’s a voluntary choice to push their craft to the highest professional standards.
A Foundation of Excellence
This unique opportunity is available to students in the Culinary Arts and Baking & Pastry Management programs, giving them a chance to plan and prepare a four-course meal and receive feedback from elite chefs across the country.
FVTC’s Culinary Arts program is accredited through the ACF, the largest accrediting body for culinary programs in the country. Chef Julia Steinhiser, a culinary arts instructor at FVTC, says competition, as well as testing and certifications through the ACF, can help students kickstart their careers.
“It gives them a way to really push their skills,” she says. “With a few extra steps, our students can also be certified with the ACF. That’s very important for our students as they’re heading out into the industry, because it can really set them apart as they’re looking for their future jobs.”
The only requirement for students to compete is to take either the Culinary Competition class or the Plated Desserts class. After that, the decision to compete is up to the student.
Chef Julia says their approach to instruction shifts once they move from the classroom to competition.
“In the classroom, we have a specific set of competencies or skills that they’re learning. There’s a base level we’re looking for,” she says. “During competition, we’re trying to pull out all the stops. We still want to show foundational skills — knife cuts, fabrication, sanitation, organization, time management — but we are very honest with them. We get to do the ‘tough love’ talks and give them that criticism they need to hear. The students are here because they want that feedback. They are there to go for gold. You don’t go not to win.”
A Legacy Reborn
The title of “Sprinting Marathon” is no exaggeration. While the students spend months preparing — the marathon — the actual competition is a 120-minute blur of high-intensity execution. FVTC has a storied history in this arena, notably becoming the first school from Wisconsin to win a national title in 2018, a year that included a rare perfect score for their dessert course.
While the COVID-19 pandemic cooled that momentum, 2025 marked the program’s return to the circuit. Since then, the heat has intensified as interest is growing.
“At first, the students didn’t understand the process. They didn’t understand where it could really be beneficial to them,” Chef Julia says. “We’re excited to be back on a roll again. Now newer students can see the process and word spreads.”
This year, 15 students expressed an interest in competing. From that pool, Chef Julia and co-coach Chef RC Schroeder — the only ACF-certified judge in Wisconsin — selected a dedicated seven-member squad comprised of five cooks and two supporters.
The team has one goal: to create four gold-medal-worthy courses within a strict two-hour window. The 2026 roster includes:
- Matt Wery: Lead/Swing
- Angela Marcis: Entrée
- Jenna Protheroe: Fish Appetizer
- Goldsheng Vang: Salad
- Connor Odle: Dessert
- Grace Roth & Ren Shivakumar: Support Team
A Campus-Wide Kitchen
In the kitchen, the team functions like a high-end line. Each cook is responsible for one specific course, while the “swing” acts as the glue between them. For Jenna Protheroe, the fish appetizer is a masterclass in fabrication, as she works to perfect her technique with arctic char. Nearby, Goldsheng Vang focuses on the mathematical precision of her salad, refining both her knife cuts and her “mental measurements” to ensure every plate is a mirror image of the last. Next to her, Connor Odle carefully pipes chocolate onto a marble stone to create delicate filigrees.
Additional support comes from the team’s veterans, Matt Wery and Angela Marcis. Matt, a 2025 Culinary Arts graduate, and Angela, a Culinary Arts and Baking & Pastry student, both competed in 2025 and are reprising their roles as swing and entrée fabrication, respectively.
As the swing, Matt moves between stations, offering a second set of eyes or an extra hand to ensure no one falls behind the strict two-hour clock.
While only seven students will head to the qualifier, the entire FVTC Culinary department is behind them. Building a gold-medal menu during a Wisconsin winter — where fresh, local produce can be scarce — requires a creative lift.
“This is not a one-person job to approach and lead a team like this,” Chef Julia says. “Chef RC and I work with a team. Chef Richard (Williams) has worked with a team. Chef Mike (Balistrieri) is growing our herbs, our greens for the team. Chef Gary (Lyons) brings in the protein that we’ve had fabricated for the team. In some way, shape or form, everyone has done a part to help support the team.”
The Professional Edge
For the students, the “tough love” of competition is the ultimate career preparation. Angela appreciates the unfiltered feedback from their coaches and the panel of ACF-certified judges.
“They can tell you how to get better, not just, ‘This is bad, and let’s move on,’” Angela says. “It’s not scary to be told what the correct technique is; they’re just giving you feedback. That’s the best thing you can hope for in this industry.”
Chef RC — who has taught the competition class for nearly 20 years and competed globally for 30 — sees these high-stakes moments as a career bridge.
“That’s why they’re doing this: to continue to learn and get better,” Chef RC says. “I hope that it truly sets the foundation for them. We’ve got some great ones out there that have come through competition team. I look at it as a steppingstone towards being the best chef you can be.”
Matt is living proof of that transition. Now working at a high-end restaurant in Green Bay, he credits the competition team for his seamless transition into the workforce.
“I thought I was decent in the kitchen, but I became significantly better,” Matt says. “If I didn’t get into competition, where I’m at right now would be much more difficult. FVTC gives you a better foundation. They do an awesome job with making sure you’re as prepared as you can be for the workforce.”
If you are considering a career in the culinary arts, Angela encourages you to consider competition.
“It pushes you to your limit,” she says. “You won’t know what you’re capable of until you have. This is your time to cook the best food you possibly could at this stage in your life.”
A special thank you to the team sponsors this year:
- Albert Uster Imports for donating the chocolate used in the dessert.
- Branch River Trout Hatchery for donating the trout used in the fish appetizer.
- Marcho Farms for donating the veal used in the entree.
- Mercer Culinary for donating the chef coats for students to during during the competition.
Hear from the students and instructors preparing for competition!
