And the finalists are….

Just 30 students from across Arizona will compete in the 2012 Careers in Culinary Arts Program scholarship competition finals this March.

Judges at the preliminaries noted that many of the students in competition demonstrated good knife skills; several judges noted that organization and learning how to season appropriately should be priorities as they prepare for finals.

(Check this blog over the next weeks. There will be continuing updates from judges' notes and more as the date for finals approaches!)

Here are the students who will be competing (save time! It's in alphabetical order, high school following name, divided between juniors and seniors):

Seniors

Christopher Andrade, Valley Vista/West MEC

Jeremy Ballester, Casa Grande

Francis Balmes, Casa Grande

Carrie Beletz, Moon Valley/West MEC

Jessica Beekman, Flagstaff

Wye Eun Chung, EVIT/Corona del Sol

Daniel Clark, Moon Valley/West MEC

Alejandro Cuevas, Metro Tech/Camelback

Sabrina Denney, Canyon del Oro

Jeremy Dichoso, Vista Grande

Rebecca Eltringham, Chino Valley

Kristina Emmett, Cactus/West MEC

Alyssa Falshaw, Flagstaff

Petra Fierro Acosta, Metro Tech/Alhambra

Danielle Flanery, RS Kellis/West MEC

Chelsey Hacker, EVIT/Apache Junction

Alexandria Martinez, Maricopa

Govanny Murillo, Wickenburg/West MEC

Mason Nelson, Casa Grande

Roczanne Orr, Blue Ridge

Brandy Pennnick, EVIT/Apache Junction

Jack Quijada, Metro Tech

Crystae Rohman, Basha

Oscar Sanchez, Metro Tech

Royce Schittenhart, Canyon del Oro

Crystal Sellers, Santa Rita

Calena Srutowski, EVIT/homeschool

Patrick Tribbett, Kingman

Emery Van Gilder, Catalina Magnet

Samuel White, EVIT/Dobson

Juniors

Gustaco Alegria, North

Taylor Bergant, Maricopa

Nichole Carpenter, Canyon del Oro

Courtney Clardy, EVIT/homeschool

Elizabeth Cuka, Chino Valley

Christopher Owens, North Canyon

Autumn Parrish,Payson

Kanisha Twitty, Poston Butte

Kate Watson, Liberty

Kenny Wietholter, Vista Grande