Their recipe was a twist on a traditional Mexican street food: a masa shell topped with seasoned chicken, beans, pineapple salsa, cabbage, queso fresco and crema. The team competed with five other state teams in the regional cook-off. Each of the North Carolina student team members, Courtney McKinnon, Jissel Morales-Ledesma, Casey Murphy, and Kayla Ray, receive an $8,000 scholarship to attend Sullivan University.
State Superintendent Catherine Truitt shared in the excitement for the students.
“This is an incredible accomplishment for the Apex High Spice Girls,” Truitt shared. “This is a team that let their ingenuity and skills take them to the next level, and the scholarships they received are a testament to this. I’m hopeful this group will share their recipe with me so I can consider recreating.”