US Foods supports VGCC Culinary Arts student in competition

US Foods, one of the nation’s leading foodservice distributors, is supporting a Vance-Granville Community College student in a nationwide culinary competition.

Renee Wilder, US Foods territory manager for the region that includes the college service area, recently presented contributions to the VGCC Endowment Fund to help send Dustin Gregory of Oxford, a student in the Culinary Arts program , to the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference in Louisville, Kentucky (June 20-24). There, Gregory will compete against college students from across the country. He qualified for the competition by winning the top prize at the state-level SkillsUSA conference in April .

VGCC faculty and staff held a “send-off” reception on June 16 in Gregory’s honor. He is the first student from VGCC to qualify for a national SkillsUSA competition. At the reception, VGCC Endowment Fund Director Eddie Ferguson recognized US Foods as the major supporter for Gregory, as well as other friends of the college who made donations to sponsor his trip to the conference.

SkillsUSA is a partnership of secondary and post-secondary students, teachers and industry, working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce. SkillsUSA chapters help students who are preparing for careers in technical, skilled and service occupations excel. Among the benefits to VGCC students are opportunities to participate in competitions, which are designed by industry experts and showcase the nation’s top career and technical education students.

 

Above:  From left, VGCC Endowment Fund Director Eddie Ferguson, Culinary Arts student Dustin Gregory of Oxford and Renee Wilder of US Foods. (VGCC photo)