{"id":179584,"date":"2026-02-25T12:19:30","date_gmt":"2026-02-25T12:19:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/179584\/"},"modified":"2026-02-25T12:19:30","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T12:19:30","slug":"the-american-dream-story-of-preston-nguyen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/179584\/","title":{"rendered":"The American Dream Story of Preston Nguyen"},"content":{"rendered":"

Published on November 13, 2025<\/p>\n


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Editor’s Note: This article, originally published in February 2023, was updated Nov. 13, 2025, to reflect Nguyen’s second World Food Championship.<\/p>\n

By Arlington ISD Communications<\/p>\n

Preston Nguyen is now a two-time world champion. The Martin High School grad won the 2025 World Chef Championship at the\u00a0World Food Championships\u00a0last month, repeating his first victory in 2021.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s incredibly humbling,\u201d Nguyen said in an article published on the Arlington ISD’s website<\/a>. \u201cWinning again just reminds me that hard work, creativity, and the people who believed in me really do make all the difference. It\u2019s also a full-circle feeling \u2013 representing Arlington on a world stage and bringing the title home again means the world to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nguyen took a lot of Arlington to the WFC in Indianapolis this year. His cooking assistants all came from home \u2013 his parents, brother, and sister.<\/p>\n

Arlington is home, and it\u2019s where Nguyen got his culinary start. In fact, his experience at the\u00a0Arlington ISD Dan Dipert Career + Technical Center\u00a0and an internship during his senior year at\u00a0Prince Lebanese Grill\u00a0completely changed his career trajectory. The City of Arlington’s Office of Communication interviewed Nguyen about how he was living his American Dream in 2023, which is when he had the chance to show off his skills on Gordon Ramsay\u2019s hit television show, Next Level Chef. Recently, he appeared on Food Network’s Beat Bobby Flay. \u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cArlington ISD, and especially the culinary program at Dan Dipert CTC, changed everything for me,\u201d Nguyen said. \u201cI was on the path to becoming an architect when I decided to give culinary a try. It gave me a vision and my foundation, not just in skills, but in confidence. My teachers encouraged me to compete, to lead, and to dream big. Without that early support, I wouldn\u2019t be where I am today.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Now, Nguyen is preparing for his next culinary adventure close to home. He was recently named executive chef at the new\u00a0Caravan Court Hotel, the retro luxury hotel currently under construction on Division Street in the Entertainment District.<\/p>\n

\u201cArlington has always been home, and to open a restaurant here feels like the perfect next chapter,\u201d Nguyen said. \u201cI can\u2019t wait for it to become a place where locals and visitors alike can experience something uniquely Arlington and also get a taste of my culinary identity.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s an identity that started right here in Arlington ISD.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m proud to represent Arlington wherever I go, and I hope my story inspires the next generation of students to chase what they love, whether that\u2019s food, art, or anything that brings them joy and challenges them to do their best. Arlington gave me my start, and I\u2019ll always carry that with me into every kitchen and every opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n

To see more American Dream stories, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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