That’s typically the case when students from different school districts pick a Career & Technical Education program at Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES.

Gilman of Forestville and Rosario of Fredonia began their culinary journey this fall, and it didn’t take long for the juniors to become friends.

The two are not only solid friends four months into the 2024-25 school year, they’re also winners. Gilman and Rosario took first place in the annual gingerbread house contest at LoGuidice. The pair’s traditional house was voted best of the junior class by faculty and staff.

Danielle Miller and Marcus Gamble, both of Gowanda, took second place, while Yadielys Cruz Montalvo and Geralys Diaz Figueroa, both of Dunkirk, took third.

Makaila Rosario, a junior at Fredonia Central School, is pictured with her first-place gingerbread house she made with Forestville junior Anna Gilman. The two became friends after enrolling in the Career & Technical Education program at the LoGuidice Educational Center.

Rosario said the gingerbread house contest, a staple at LoGuidice for almost three decades, was a chance for her to team up with her new friend and get creative. She said she struggled at first with piping the icing, a technique many Culinary Arts students haven’t practiced before.

“It was hard at first, but then I got really used to it,” Rosario said.

The Fredonia junior said coming to E2CCB has allowed her to meet new people interested in the same industry.

“It’s honestly nice to have different friends who aren’t from the same school,” said Rosario, who’s eyeing a career in baking after high school. “It’s nice to be able to try something different with different friends.”

In the senior class, Kingston Hall of Dunkirk and Jaylah Lozada of Fredonia took first place with a Santa’s reindeer barn theme. Benjamin Latimore of Gowanda placed second, and Jordan Swanson of Cassadaga Valley placed third.

Lozada said she and her partner came up with their theme after looking up images online.

“I saw one like it, but I made it into my own. I didn’t want to copy it exactly,” she said of the barn theme. “Before putting the house together, I decorated the walls with fondant. I made sure the walls were really flat before I put the fondant on there.”

Lozada said she enjoys the holidays, and noted that the annual Gingerbread House Contest allowed her to get creative with decorations.

“I like decorating and things like that,” the Fredonia senior said. “I just really like the holidays and being able to see decorations everywhere. It’s the cheerfulness that I really enjoy this time of year.”

Meanwhile, Latimore said he wanted to incorporate some art into his house. He was pleased to take second in the competition.

“The gingerbread house project was a nice way to prove to myself that I can still do some of the things I used to do with art,” the Gowanda senior said.

Instructor David Caccamise has been organizing the annual contest for about 29 years between the Hewes and LoGuidice educational centers. He said he was “really impressed” with his Culinary Arts students in both classes.

“I heard more from the faculty and staff that it was very hard to decide this year,” he said. “Every year, it seems like it gets better and better.”

Chef Caccamise said he tries to teach the importance of patience, perseverance, and attention to detail to students before they begin making their gingerbread houses. In addition to judging by faculty and staff, the houses are also graded separately as a project on the use of materials, creativity, overall appearance, and “holiday spirit.”

“I love this time of year because I get to see what the students can come up with,” Caccamise said. “Patience is a big thing in this industry. With these gingerbread houses, they have to work together as juniors and do it purposely. It’s not always easy working with someone, especially someone you don’t necessarily know.”

For more information on Career & Technical Education programs at E2CCB, visit https://www.e2ccb.org/programs/career-technical-education/