EASTPOINTE, Mich. (WXYZ) — Nearly 300 aspiring chefs from 20 southeast Michigan school districts took their culinary skills to a statewide competition.

The ProStart competition will take place in March and is organized by the Hospitality Foundation.

All these high school students have a different “why” behind their cooking. Many say their passion comes from their parents.

Students like A’Niya, a senior at Eastpointe High School, said her love for cooking began around the age of four, when she began cooking with her mother.

“It was a bit of a mess in the kitchen, you know?” A’Niya remembers.

And as his talent grew, so did his passion. She and her mother now sell plates and are looking for ways to expand their business.

Carlos, a second-year student at the Academy of Business and Technology, said his passion for cooking was a family tradition.

“My mother is a chef and I feel like it’s in my genes” Carlos said.

Students like A’Niya and Carlos wanted to take their passion further and enrolled in a two-year program to prepare them for the next step in their culinary careers.

“Cooking has been one of the most important things in my life… Because you’re going to have to know how to cook one way or another,” A’Niya said.

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