By Elisabeth Costanzo Stewart

The “Yes, Chefs!” will be flying on Saturday, Nov. 22, as SUNY Broome’s Culinary & Event Center (CEC) hosts a culinary competition sanctioned by the American Culinary Federation (ACF). The competition will bring culinary students and industry professionals from across the state to compete in a series of timed, practical and contemporary culinary categories. Representing SUNY Broome are Culinary Arts: A.O.S. students David Kennedy, Sydney Medina, Langdon Sibley, and Instructor and ACF-Certified Executive Chef, Victoria Tompkins. 

Chef Tompkins and her students have spent weeks preparing for their respective competitions. Although their categories differ, they are all given 15 minutes to prep and set-up, 60 minutes to fabricate and cook, 10 minutes to plate, and 15 minutes to sanitize their station.

Meet SUNY Broome’s Fall 2025 ACF Competitors 

David Kennedy

David Kennedy: Competition Category: SKC-2 Whole Bone-in Chicken: 2.5lbs – 3lbs. Photo Credit: Matt Ebbers

Name: David Kennedy
Hometown: Johnson City, NY
Competition Category: SKC-2 Whole Bone-in Chicken: 2.5lbs – 3lbs.
What brought you to SUNY Broome? “I was constantly hungry as a teenager, so I started experimenting with cooking savory ‘boy food.’ (Think lots of cheese, carbs, and bacon.) By 17, I was the head pizza maker at Pizza on the Plaza in Johnson City, and realized that I was meant to be in the kitchen. After graduating from Johnson City High School, I went to SUNY Brockport to earn a bachelor’s degree in business administration. Even before I left for Brockport, my goal was to come back to SUNY Broome. I approached every semester at Brockport with the attitude, “get it done, and come back to Broome.” I think of my culinary degree as my version of graduate school. My business degree from SUNY Brockport will serve me well as I start my own businesses, but I really just wanted to be in a kitchen, honing my skills as a chef.”
What drew you to competitive cooking? “Early on in the program, I didn’t feel confident enough to participate in competitions. My confidence in my skills grew with each semester, and I didn’t want to graduate without taking advantage of such a great opportunity.”
How did you prepare for the competition? “I was a three-sport athlete in high school, so I treated preparing for this competition like it was my 19th season, my grand finale. I spent one day a week training for the prep side, and two days a week making and tweaking my dish. It’s all about consistency and timing.”
What’s next? “I got married on Nov. 8, 2025! As soon as I finish the competition on Saturday, my wife and I are flying out for our honeymoon. I am set to graduate at the end of this semester. Professionally, I’m developing the menu for Shugs, a new, upscale, golf-themed sports bar in Johnson City.”
Advice for future students: “Don’t come to the program to be passive. Work hard, ask questions, develop skills, and form a plan for what you want to get out of the program.”

Sydney Medina

Sydney Medina: Competition Category: SKS -1, Basic Skills Salon Demonstration Photo Credit: Matt Ebbers

Name: Sydney Medina
Hometown: Escondido, California (Currently of Vestal, NY)
Competition Category: SKS -1, Basic Skills Salon Demonstration 
What made you choose Broome? “My husband and I moved from California to the Southern Tier for his job. I’ve always loved to cook, so when I realized that our new community had a beautiful culinary school just minutes from our house, I knew the timing was right to give it a try!” 
What drew you to competitive cooking? “I wanted to experience participating in competitive cooking, but since this is my first official competition, I thought that the Basic Skills category would be my best point of entry.”
How did you prepare for the competition? “My category emphasizes procedure and technique. I need to prove that I know how to skillfully peel, seed, and concasse a tomato, julienne, paysanne, and tourner a potato, dice an onion, and fabricate a chicken, all while maintaining overall sanitation and safety. My prep for my category is repetitive practice of each skill.”
What’s next? “Right now, my days are non-stop. I am up at 1:45 a.m. to bake for the bakery in Binghamton University’s dining services department. Then, I come to the CEC for my classes and competition prep. Next, I come home and clock in as a data analyst. I am constantly on the go, but somehow I make it all happen.” 
Advice for future students: “Take proactive steps to make your life easier. Make task lists and use your Google calendar to manage your time. I promise it helps!” 

Langdon Sibley

Langdon Sibley: Competition Category: SKC-1 Whole Bone-in Cornish Game Hen: 1lbs-1.5lbs. Photo Credit: Matt Ebbers

Name: Langdon Sibley
Hometown: Windsor, NY
Competition Category: SKC-1 Whole Bone-in Cornish Game Hen: 1lbs-1.5lbs. 
What made you choose Broome? “I studied culinary arts at Broome-Tioga BOCES while I was a student at Windsor High School. After I graduated, I started working in some of the best kitchens in the area. I was working non-stop, but I felt like I wasn’t growing. Burnout is a reality of our industry, so instead of succumbing to it, I decided to enroll in the program.” 
What drew you to competitive cooking? “I competed when I was a student at BOCES, and I knew that I wanted to continue at SUNY Broome. This is my third collegiate ACF competition. Competing takes what I’ve learned in the program to a whole new level.”
How did you prepare for the competition? “I’ve been mentally developing the vision of this dish for almost a year. Last December, I thought, ‘I want to marinate a Cornish game hen breast in Greek yogurt,’ and here we are! I tweak my dish with every practice and am constantly making minor changes.” 
What’s next? “I balance my time at the CEC with working for Remlik’s. I’m the seventh of eight children, and a chef, so our large family’s Thanksgiving dinner is on my shoulders. After the competition, I’m headed straight into Thanksgiving prep.”
Advice for future students: “There is a common misconception that work experience makes culinary school unnecessary. Believe me, going to culinary school is 100% worth it.” 

Victoria Tompkins, Instructor and ACF-Certified Executive Chef

Victoria Tompkins, Instructor and ACF-Certified Executive Chef Competition Category: SKC-2 Whole Bone-in Chicken: 2.5lbs – 3lbs. Photo Credit: Matt Ebbers

Name:  Victoria Tompkins, Instructor and ACF-Certified Executive Chef
American Culinary Federation (ACF) Competition Category: SKC-2 Whole Bone-in Chicken: 2.5lbs – 3lbs. 
What are you most looking forward to during the competition? “I am just looking forward to seeing our students in action. They have committed so much time and effort to preparing for the competition, and I am so excited to see them execute their skills. Culinary competitions are a great way to enhance and reinforce the skills that we develop in class. We’ve built such a special bond preparing for this competition, and I’m so proud of all of them!” 

SUNY Broome’s Culinary & Event Center Photo Credit: Matt Ebbers

Culinary & Event Center (CEC) Open House

In conjunction with the culinary competition, the College’s Hospitality Programs Department invites prospective students, community members, and food enthusiasts to the Culinary & Event Center Open House. Whether you’re considering a career in culinary arts, event management, hospitality, or simply love great food and beautiful designs, the CEC Open House is not to be missed!

Event: Culinary & Event Center (CEC) Open House
When: Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025
Where: SUNY Broome Culinary & Event Center – 78 Exchange St., Binghamton, NY 13901 
Time: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

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