Recruiting for ‘Breakfast Boot Camp’

Two Bowling Green High School seniors created a healthy breakfast and exercise program for youngsters,
and walked away with $5,000 scholarships for their efforts.
Jennifer Gerdeman and Ryan Stefanich won the third annual Fields of Green high school scholarship
competition sponsored by ProMedica. Their "Breakfast Boot Camp" program included five
in-school and five at-home meals, plus educational materials for parents on the importance of healthy
eating.
Their program will be implemented at an area elementary school this spring, and ProMedica will award
$1,000 to their high school for its health and science program.
"It was a lot more work than I suspected," admitted Gerdeman about their study of food
nutrition. "I, like, lived in Meijer and Gordon Foods for a while" reading the nutrition
charts on the back of boxes, she laughed.
Winners were announced Jan. 29, after the competition at Toledo Hospital.
Four students from Coldwater High School came in second place with a "Breakfast Buzz" program,
and each received a $2,500 college scholarship.
Teams from St. Ursula Academy in Toledo and Blissfield (Mich.) High School, plus a combined team from St.
Ursula and St. Francis de Sales High School, also made the final competition.
Teams had to be within ProMedica’s 27-county service area in Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan.
Each team presented their breakfast programs to judges from WGTE, Toledo Public Schools and ProMedica.
Entries were judged on nutritional content, presentation and creativity, and appeal to elementary school
children. Each team was required to submit a detailed proposal about their program, adult education
materials, and a visual aid. The maximum budget per meal was $2.
Gerdeman and Stefanich served an apple bagel sandwich, with fat-free cream cheese, apple slices and
cinnamon-raisin bagels; navel oranges; and orange cream fat-free yogurt. The meal had to have fewer than
550 calories, with less than 10 percent from fat, plus allowances for vitamins, iron and protein.
They had help from high school family and consumer science teacher Alice Hackworth in converting daily
allowances.
"She was the one who convinced us to stick with our boot camp and camouflage theme," Gerdeman
said.
Before submitting their proposal, the duo invited elementary-age students to the high school over
Thanksgiving break to try the meals they had created. They served french toast roll-ups, with raisins
and fat-free cream cheese and a side of sliced kiwis and grapes; as well as waffles served with fresh
fruit.
According to Gerdeman, the taste testers voted on the bagel as their favorite.
The seniors also developed a military cadence about eating healthy and exercising, and added a
"booting those bad habits" message.
Gerdeman said she learned about the scholarship opportunity through the high school guidance office, and
asked Stefanich if he wanted to be her partner.
"I was happy that I could help because it sounded like a really good idea," he said.
He thinks their brochure to parents on the importance of healthy eating, as well as their PowerPoint
presentation for judges and exercise piece, helped them win the competition.
He plans to use the scholarship award to help pay for a degree in aerospace engineering. Stefanich is
considering Purdue, Ohio State and the University of Cincinnati.
Gerdeman wants to attend the University of Toledo, then transfer to Oakland University in Michigan, to
major in pre-med and integrated holistic medicine.
Their parents are "thrilled" with their win, she added.
According to ProMedica, the Fields of Green program was developed to raise awareness about proper
nutrition and exercise, and to increase access to healthier food in under-served areas.