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>> Narrator Emilie Howlett, University of Hawaii at Manoa student: What's cooking this
summer at Kapiolani Community College? The school's culinary team that's headed to Las
Vegas, Nevada in mid July for the national championships of the American Culinary Federation
Student Team competition.
>> Joy Yamane, Kapiolani Community College culinary team member: Just the thought of
like winning nationals, it is so motivating, it's just like, unbelievable to have this
opportunity
>> Narrator: They earned it. The team: Ian Sagayaga, Emi Akiyama, Joy Yamane, Bickna
Sim and Hwanjae Lee; won the state championships in December and then in April, topped the
defending western regional champions, California, and six other states to win the Western Regionals
held in Idaho.
>> Grant Sato, Kapiolani Community College Chef Instructor of Culinary Arts: This team
is very young. They had almost no experience, and they saved their best performance for
last so their best run through was at the regional.
>> Narrator: Now the focus is on preparing for the nationals and taking advantage of
what they do best.
>> Ian Sagayaga, Kapiolani Community College culinary team member: We all work well together.
We have no arguments, nothing at all. We all help each other. If someone does something
wrong we just improvise and just think of something and we'll fix it instantly.
>> Sato: I think their teamwork is the key that is setting them apart from all other
teams from the past.
>> Narrator: The team is truly representing the 50th state. The menu for the national
competition showcases Hawaiʻi regional cuisine and products.
>> Sato: Everything that we have on our plate, from the protein to the vegetables to as much
as you could of everything, is grown or produced locally.
>> Yamane: A lot of people on the mainland, they don't really get to use these products
that much, so we want to teach them or show them what we do in Hawaii.
>> Narrator: Kapiolani Community College has proven it is no flash in the pan, winning
the national championship in 2009 and consistently placing high in the regionals each year. And
each year, supporters like Y. Hata, Dura Contractors, D. Otani Produce, Shinsato Farms, and many,
many more make it all possible by contributing thousands of dollars to pay for the team's
travel and expenses; about 60,000 dollars this year for the regional and national competitions.
>> Yamane: We just want to win and bring home the gold for all of them, everybody.
>> Sagayaga: We are just going to go strong and win the competition.