GTCC culinary student heading to national American Culinary Federation competition

Former white house chef Andre Rush with Jackelin Sanchez providing pointers for her ACF national competition meal prep.

UPDATE - August 1, 2025

Jackelin Sanchez has done it again! The GTCC culinary arts graduate brought home silver in the National Student Chef of the Year Competition at the American Culinary Federation's National Convention, held July 27-31 at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas, following up her regional silver medal win in April and showcasing the exceptional training she received through GTCC's culinary arts program.

 Competing on a national stage wasn’t what Jackelin Sanchez first imagined when she decided on majoring in culinary arts at Guilford Technical Community College. However, since beginning the program, she has credited her instructors and peers for turning her into a different person – now a person with confidence. 

The Long Island native, now a McLeansville, North Carolina resident, will travel to Las Vegas, Nevada this July to compete on behalf of GTCC in the national American Culinary Federation (ACF) student competition. She qualified for the national competition after bringing home silver in the Southeast Regional ACF competition in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, in April.

“When I started the culinary arts program, I was such a different person,” said Sanchez. “This program has helped me grow as a person so much and I have gained confidence in myself.”

The Southeast Regional ACF competition was her first hands on culinary competition and where she was tasked with working with Cornish game hens, pairing it with a veggie, starch, sauce, and garnish.

“We had months of preparation, so I was able to prepare and practice appropriately with the strict guidelines,” Sanchez said. “For the regional dish, I had to produce one dish, four times at competition.”

For Sanchez that dish consisted of a beet citrus salad, a sweet potato puree and Cara Cara orange gastric, a sweet and sour sauce.

Growing up with parents in the culinary industry, her love for cooking really solidified when she watched a documentary on an Arizona pizzeria.

“When I was a senior in high school, I watched this documentary, on the lives and journeys of chefs around the world,” Sanchez recalls. “There was a chef in Arizona, Chef Bianco, with a pizzeria in Phoenix and it sparked something in me.”

Little did she know she would have the opportunity to travel to Phoenix, Arizona with her fellow GTCC culinary peers to compete in the Culinary Knowledge Bowl last year.

“The cool thing for me is that I really wanted to try food in Chef Bianco’s restaurant and thanks to the college bowl, we traveled to Phoenix and got to visit and actually eat at Pizzeria Bianco! GTCC made this happen,” Sanchez exclaimed. “The restaurant is super pretty, the atmosphere was great, and the pizza was great! It lived up to the hype!”

Now as she prepares for the national ACF competition – working with shrimp and a whole duck - she excitedly credits GTCC and her culinary instructors, along with one surprise, celebrity mentor for really preparing her.

“I’d love to thank Chef Gardiner, Chef Romano, Chef Lance, Chef (Andre) Rush, and all of the chefs at the college that prepared me for this,” Sanchez beamed. “Chef Gardiner showed up for all of my practice rounds getting me ready for my final dish. Chef Lance helped with my plating and menu. Chef Romano has given me so much support and even former white house Chef (Andre) Rush helped me when he was at GTCC, and he gave me some pointers. They’ve all given me a confidence boost that I can really do this!”

Sanchez completed her culinary arts associate degree this May but will continue at GTCC for one more year to finish up her associate in arts. She then plans to transfer to the University of North Carolina at Greensboro to complete her bachelor's degree in nutrition. She admits she’s a little sad to be finishing up the culinary portion of her time at GTCC but will treasure all that she has learned in the kitchen from her instructors, which includes more than just culinary skills.

“I just want to encourage others to make the decision to do more for yourself and your career, once you fully jump in you learn so much stuff and you get to meet so many people - there is so much out there if you take it. The chefs at GTCC love what they do, and they want you to succeed, and they pride themselves in getting their students to the next level.”

For more information on GTCC’s culinary program, visit gtcc.edu/academics/academic-programs/programs/business-programs/culinary-arts.php.