Questa High School ProStart students competed in a mock competition Jan. 24 at Central New Mexico Community College in Albuquerque, gaining hands-on experience and professional feedback as they prepare for the state competition in March.
Students participated in multiple competition areas and received positive evaluations from judges. The event served as a learning opportunity designed to help students refine their skills ahead of the New Mexico ProStart state competition, scheduled for March 8–9 at the Albuquerque Convention Center.

Two students competed in the marketing and management skills portion, where they created a restaurant concept from the ground up. Their project featured Indian cuisine and required them to demonstrate knowledge of menu development, operations and overall restaurant management.

The ProStart program is sponsored in schools across the state by the New Mexico Restaurant Association. The program uses the Foundations of Restaurant Management and Culinary Arts curriculum, which consists of two textbooks and accompanying workbooks, Level 1 and Level 2.

The Level 1 curriculum introduces students to the foodservice industry with a history and overview, along with chapters such as “Keeping Food Safe,” “Stocks, Sauces, and Soups,” and “Management Essentials.” Level 2 expands on those concepts with lessons on nutrition, controlling food costs and more in-depth restaurant management skills.

Students who participated in the mock competition included Frankie Archuleta, Matt Gallegos, Winter Hernandez and Estrella Hernandez. Esperanza Vallejos and Jackie Juarez competed in the marketing portion. The program in Questa is taught by Vivian Vallejos.