Crocus Plains student showcases skills at school board

Trustees at the Brandon School Division (BSD) board meeting got more than a presentation last week — they got a taste of a student’s creation.

Grade 11 Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School student Kayla DeCosse, fresh off winning her second consecutive gold medal at Skills Manitoba, visited the board alongside her coach, Harold Fisher, to showcase the baking work she has been refining for months.

Instead of relying on photos or descriptions, DeCosse brought samples of her competition-level creations and personally served them to trustees and senior administration.

“We wanted them to actually see it,” DeCosse told the Sun. “Instead of just showing pictures, we wanted to show what we’ve been doing.”

On the menu were carefully crafted pastries and desserts, including Napoleons made with layers of pastry and a black currant and lemon filling, a braided chocolate bread, and a lemon chiffon cake filled with peach and finished with white chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream.

The cake presented was the same one she created for Skills Manitoba and plans to replicate at the national competition.

After slices were served around the room, the board responded with a round of applause — something DeCosse said meant a lot after the effort behind each item.

“It was so nice,” she said. “I’ve been putting a lot of work into it, so it’s really nice that people actually want to see it and try it.”

The visit highlighted not just the finished products, but the process behind them. DeCosse explained that perfecting her recipes required repeated testing and adjustments, with some items going through dozens of versions before reaching competition standard.

Fisher told trustees the samples were not demonstrations, but exact replicas of her competition work, down to the fillings and finishing.

“This is just a sample of it. It’s the same cake, the same filling, the same icing,” he said, as the cake was cut and distributed.

The presentation also underscored a growing tradition of success from the program. Fisher noted that DeCosse follows her older sister, Alicia, who won gold at Skills Manitoba for her baking in 2024.

BSD Supt. Mathew Gustafson said the visit was a powerful example of how hands-on learning translates into real achievement.

“It’s a testament to her skills,” Gustafson said. “And it shows the kind of opportunities our staff are creating for students to excel.”

For DeCosse, the chance to present directly to the board — and see their reaction firsthand — was both nerve-wracking and rewarding.

“I was a little bit nervous, but it was really fun,” she said. “I’m just glad we got to show what we do.”

DeCosse is now preparing to take her skills to the national stage at the Skills Canada competition in Toronto.

As DeCosse continues refining her craft, she said she remains focused on the same principle that brought her this far — practice.

“A lot of time, just practice,” she said. “Because practice makes perfect.”

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