The Roaring Fork Valley may be known for its stunning scenery and outdoor adventure, but it’s the region’s rising youth who continue to make an equally powerful impression.

That talent was on full display earlier this month when a trio of local high school students earned fifth place at the 2025 National ProStart Invitational in Baltimore — competing as the only three-member culinary team in a field of 48. The maximum team size was five.

Backed by Youthentity, a Carbondale-based nonprofit that provides career readiness and financial literacy programs for Colorado students, the group had already taken first place at the Colorado ProStart Invitational in March. They then advanced to nationals, where they outperformed teams from across the country with their creativity, precision and teamwork.

“All in, we spent over 600 hours in the kitchen,” said Matt Maier, longtime chef instructor with Youthentity. “Watching a group dynamic of students who didn’t really know each other beforehand — from different schools — mesh into this hyper-focused team, and to see rural Carbondale represented on the national podium, is wildly validating.”

The team included recent graduates Ananda Lavender and Ella Thornel, of Roaring Fork and Glenwood Springs respectively, and Dilia “Evony” Mejia, a rising senior at Roaring Fork.

Despite being short-handed, the team stayed competitive by sticking to their winning formula. Thornel opened the meal with a seared U8 scallop appetizer, Lavender prepared a braised Berkshire pork cheek entrée, and Mejia crafted a crème caramel flan for dessert.

“We had to turn it up to 11,” Maier said, quoting the 1984 film “This Is Spinal Tap”. “What the judges might miss at the state level doesn’t slide at nationals.”

Participants were given 70 minutes — 10 for setup and 60 to cook — to complete a three-course meal. Judges evaluated dishes based on taste, execution, visual presentation, cost analysis and menu design.

After receiving feedback during the state competition, Maier said they made one subtle but significant change: adding blood orange juice to the flan to mirror the citrus notes in Thornel’s appetizer and better unify the overall flavor profile.

“Bringing these nuanced finishing moves to the national stage really helps set teams apart from the rest of the pack,” he said.

Their nightly practices often ran five to six hours and focused less on the recipes and more on refining every movement and task.

“The only way to describe the way they moved is balletic,” Maier said. “There was no wasted motion. They knew every gesture and every step. Their commitment to showing up, dialing in and repeating everything over and over is what put them on the podium.”

Lavender called the opportunity to showcase her culinary talents a “life-shaping experience” — one she never imagined taking shape.

“I never imagined I’d fall in love with the culinary world,” Lavender wrote in an essay shared with the Post Independent. “What started as just another challenge became a life-shaping experience. Through the late nights, the stress, and even the mistakes that left me doubting myself, I discovered a part of me that craves creating something beautiful — something that brings people together. Cooking became more than a skill. It became a language of care and connection.”

Lavender said her father, a quadriplegic for the past 13 years, was her biggest source of inspiration.

“Seeing his pride when we placed at nationals was a moment I’ll never forget,” she wrote. “I realized then that this path I’m on isn’t just about food — it’s about resilience, about heart, about turning pressure into purpose.”

Maier, who has coached Youthentity teams at five national competitions, said the trio’s drive and cohesion set them apart.

“They were as flawless as any team I’ve ever seen,” he said. “It’s just a beautiful life lesson: If you invest the time and diligence, you can really make anything happen.”