YouthEntity has been helping the youth of Colorado build critical life-skills since 2002. From financial literacy to future career opportunities, YouthEntity impacts over 6,000 Colorado youth every year. 

Through the nonprofit’s support, the Roaring Fork culinary team took home the gold during the 2025 Colorado ProStart Invitational on March 5 at ReelWorks Denver. 

The three-member team consists of Roaring Fork High School senior Ananda Lavender and junior Dilia (Evony) Mejia, along with Glenwood Springs High School senior Ella Thornel. The three girls competed against 23 different teams from across the state, some as large as five members.  

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With their win, the Roaring Fork culinary team will represent Colorado at the National ProStart Invitational in Baltimore in early May.

“We were all so nervous before the competition,” Mejia laughed. “But once the competition actually started, we settled in and just did what we had been practicing. We just couldn’t believe we were champions.”

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The competition required teams to prepare a three-course meal within a strict time limit. In addition to cooking under pressure, teams were judged on taste, procedure, visual appearance, presentation, cost, menu style, and other factors. Competitors had 10 minutes to set up their presentation surface and one hour to prepare their dishes.

With three courses required, the Roaring Fork team was perfectly set up to make an appetizer, main course, and dessert. 

Thornel was in charge of the appetizer— a U8 seared scallop dish. Lavender was in charge of the main course — a braised berkshire pork cheek, and Mejia was in charge of the dessert — a creme caramel flan dish. 

“I wanted to make a traditional Mexican dish,” Mejia said. “So I had an idea to make a flan, but I didn’t like the idea of using condensed milk. That’s how we landed on the creme caramel dish.”

Mejia said her experience during the ProStart Invitational was enough to make her want to pursue a culinary career. 

“Before all of this, I wanted to be in real estate,” Mejia said. “But after the competition, my feelings have changed. I want to be a baker now.”

YouthEntity Executive Director Kris Freeman said she couldn’t be prouder of her students and program.

“Seeing them compete was so special,” she said. “This really is our core mission. Our mission is money smart, career ready, and this is such an incredible opportunity for the students. The winners were awarded scholarships to put towards pursuing higher education if that’s what they chose to do.”

After enrolling in YouthEntity’s culinary course at the beginning of the school year, Lavender, Mejia, and Thornel made the commitment to participate in the extracurricular in December. 

Freeman equated their commitment to that of high school sports. Their vigorous practice schedule saw them in the kitchen three to four days a week and three to four hours per day.

“It takes a special individual to show that type of commitment, especially at that age,” Freeman said. 

After a short break, the girls are already back in the kitchen trying to tighten up their practices before the national tournament. 

“I’m a little nervous because we are going to face more advanced teams then what we faced at states,” Mejia said about May’s national tournament. “I’m so proud of us, but I think if we can do what we have been doing, we have a chance of winning the whole thing. “

The girls from the Roaring Fork Valley will travel to Baltimore on the final day of April before the two day competition, which will take place from May 2-4. 

“First and foremost, we are proud of the girls,” Freeman said. “It is just such an honor to be able to help them reach this point and see them compete on the national stage.”