2026 -- H 8425

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026

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H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

CONGRATULATING THE WINNERS OF THE 2026 14TH ANNUAL PROSTART® HIGH

SCHOOL COMPETITION AND WISHING THEM SUCCESS AT THE NATIONAL

PROSTART® INVITATIONAL

     Introduced By: Representatives Solomon, Cotter, Shekarchi, Blazejewski, Spears,
Kennedy, Chippendale, Hopkins, Casey, and Boylan

     Date Introduced: April 09, 2026

     Referred To: House read and passed

     WHEREAS, ProStart® is “a two-year hospitality career-building program designed by

the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation” with an enrollment of nearly 800

Rhode Island students and an additional 400 students enrolled in the Hospitality & Tourism

Management program, designed by the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute’s

(AHLEI) which is also a two-year, turnkey high school curriculum; and

     WHEREAS, The Rhode Island Hospitality Education Foundation (RIHEF) hosted the

2026 14th Annual Rhode Island High School Culinary Arts, Foodservice & Hotel Management

Competition in February, with ten local teams competing for scholarships and prizes, and the

opportunity to represent Rhode Island in the 2026 National ProStart® Invitational in Baltimore,

Maryland from April 24th - 26th, 2026; and

     WHEREAS, The annual event features three competitive categories: Culinary Arts,

Foodservice Management, and Hospitality Tourism Management, with more than thirty local

hospitality industry professionals serving as judges; and

     WHEREAS, The top competitors represented Chariho Career and Technical Center

(CHARIHOTech), Newport Area Career and Technical Center, Warwick Area Career and

Technical Center, William M. Davies, Jr. Career and Technical High School and Woonsocket

Area Career and Technical Center; and

     WHEREAS, Rhode Island’s First Place Culinary Arts Team, hailed from the Warwick

Area Career and Technical Center includes Instructor Eva Niosi, and winning students Anthony

Morales, Richard Desmarais, Tyler Hartley and Liam McGloin; and

     WHEREAS, The First Place Foodservice Management Team also hailed from the

Warwick Area Career and Technical Center, includes Instructor Austin Irons and winning

students Jailyn Huffman, Giana Gioffreda, Alexiana Medeiros, Anissa Gill, and Liliana

Lunsmann; and

     WHEREAS, The First Place Hospitality & Tourism Management Team, hailed from the

Chariho Career and Technical Center, includes instructor Donald Fair and winning students Rosie

Sposato, Logan Berdos, Maddie Niewiecki, and Lilyana Juneau; and

     WHEREAS, The winning Culinary Arts and Foodservice Management Teams will now

advance to compete at the 2026 National ProStart® Invitational on April 24th - 26th, 2026, where

they will represent not only their respective schools, but also the State of Rhode Island; now,

therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby

extends enthusiastic congratulations to the Warwick Area Career and Technical Center, the

Chariho Career and Technical Center, their instructors, and their students on winning the 2026

Rhode Island ProStart® High School Competition, and wishes them the very best of luck at the

National ProStart® Invitational in Baltimore, MD; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to Warwick Area Career and Technical Center and

the Chariho Career and Technical Center.

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