Lorain County JVS Culinary Arts student, Leah Bacsi, placed fifth in the nation in the Baking and Pastry event at the 2021 FCCLA Virtual National Competition.
“I am extremely proud of Leah,” shard Lorain County JVS Culinary Arts Instructor, Chef Tim Michitsch. “Leah is the type of student that goes above and beyond what is expected of her in class and for her competition. She puts in countless hours to master her skills and knowledge to be successful.”
Due to the scheduling of this year’s virtual competitions, Leah had only one week to prepare for the national competition, and according to Michitsch, she didn’t let it phase her.
“Leah set goals for the competition, and she accomplished each goal without any distractions,” Michitsch said. “I was honored to have Leah in class and the opportunity to train her for this competition. I have no doubt that she will have a successful career in the hospitality industry.”
Bacsi shared that it was weird for all of the competitions to be virtual. “I had to practice at home for the competitions, which is not the same as practicing at school with all of the commercial grade equipment. However, it was less nerve wracking being able to record my competitions because there weren’t all kinds of people around watching.”
“I wanted to participate in the competitions to see how my skills compared to others in my age group,” said Bacsi. “I wanted to be challenged and learn as much about culinary arts as I could.”
“I am very pleased with my ranking on the national level. It is an honor to place that high and it shows that I have some talent and skills in the culinary field. I am excited to continue my journey.”