Garfield Culinary Student is CRA Student of the Year

Jot Condie, President and CEO of the California Restaurant Association, left, Luis Bastidas and Mike Morton, Jr., Chapter President for the California Restaurant Association San Diego County.

Garfield High student Luis Bastidas has been named Culinary Student of the Year by the California Restaurant Association’s San Diego chapter.

Bastidas is the first Garfield student and one of only a few in the entire district to complete eight levels of culinary arts classes in a two-year period. He has twice participated in the prestigious annual Garfield Foundation Thanksgiving luncheon at The Prado restaurant and has worked evenings and weekends for almost three years at Supreme Catering.

“Luis deserves this award because he is a continual learner, has established himself as a professional and has an entrepreneurial spirit,” said Arlyn Hackett, culinary arts and management teacher at Garfield.

Bastidas plans to study business at a community college and open his own catering company or gourmet food truck.

The Culinary Arts and Management program provides entry-level and advanced training for careers in culinary arts, hospitality and tourism. For more information, contact Angela Croce, program specialist for the Office of College, Career and Technical Education, at 858-503-1750 or acroce@sandi.net.