Six culinary students traveled to Corpus Christi to participate in the SkillsUSA competition on April 7-9.

Seniors Seleste Richards, and Athziri Cerda and juniors Lauren Greer and Ryland Tazioli won blue ribbons, which means they scored from 90 through 100 points, classifying them as having superior standing. While seniors Nathalie Lagunas and Diana Diaz earned red ribbons and scored within the 80-90 point bracket. This earned them the title of state excellence.

The cakes were judged on three main qualities: neatness, complete work and the cake as a whole.

“We spent two months or more working on our cakes,” Cerda said.

The culinary students had to make sure they to met all the criteria to score well in the competition.

Cerda was awarded one of the first place ribbons mainly due to her preparing for the competition by working very hard on her cake, just as all the other students

“I used gum paste, flower cutters and fondant to create the designs that were on my cake,” Cerda said.

Even though Cerda received first place she still saw things on other people’s cakes that she wants to learn how to do and become better at.

“I want to learn more about more complex structuring and color techniques, like ombreing for cakes,” Cerda said.