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High School Students Compete For Culinary Scholarships At Drexel

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Two dishes will determine the future of some culinary-minded high school students. A cooking competition at Drexel University is helping to give young chefs the opportunity of a lifetime.

Careers through Culinary Arts Program director Kerri Fisher says students participating in the final CCAP competition have the potential to earn anywhere from a couple-thousand dollars to a full-ride scholarship to culinary school.

"We have a preliminary competition in January and then select seniors move on to the finals today," Fisher explained, "and then everyone who's competing will get a scholarship to culinary school."

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Students had two hours to prepare the two dishes that could change their lives.

"A hunters chicken with tourney potatoes and dessert crepes with pastry creme and chocolate sauce," Fisher said.

Nineteen-year-old Raine Roberts has spent thousands of hours this past year slicing, dicing and baking.

"We start practicing at 7:30 in the morning and I won't leave until 1:00 in the afternoon," she said.

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Roberts says this competition is life-changing.

"Because my parents -- my mom and my dad -- didn't go to college," she said.

Judging takes place this week. Over half-million dollars worth of scholarships are expected to be handed out to the students at their awards ceremony next week at the Union League.

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