Raileigh Browning, a 2020 graduate of Pahrump Valley High School (PVHS), has come a long way from her days as a high school student involved in numerous activities to her current role as a general manager at Pizza Hut in Pahrump. Today, she is known not only for her dedication to community service but also for her leadership in guiding her team through an exciting journey in the competitive world of pizza making.
During her high school years, Raileigh was actively involved in multiple activities. “I joined Key Club my freshman year and I fell in love with community service,” Raileigh recalls. “It was really fun to me.” She went on to become the Key Club president for a brief period during her sophomore year. In addition to Key Club, Raileigh participated in marching band, basketball, and track and field, all while juggling a part-time job at Pizza Hut. “By the time I was a junior in high school, I was doing all of that stuff together,” she says. When she took on a shift lead role at Pizza Hut at the age of 17, her growing responsibilities led her to step back from some of her extracurricular activities.
Despite having to leave the Key Club, Raileigh’s dedication to community service never wavered. At 19, after becoming the general manager of Pizza Hut, she was approached by Reva Braun to join Kiwanis as a corporate member through Pizza Hut. Kiwanis, the parent organization of Key Club, gave Raileigh an unexpected opportunity to reconnect with community service. “I didn’t know that I could even do that,” Raileigh admits. Joining Kiwanis allowed her to integrate her role at Pizza Hut with community outreach, creating a unique partnership that benefitted both the business and the local community. “I was able to do more community service and kind of implement Pizza Hut into that and find a way to give back to the community,” she shares.
In addition to her role in community service, Raileigh has also excelled in her professional life. She has been instrumental in preparing and supporting her team for the Pizza Hut Pizza Championship, an annual competition designed to promote excellence among cooks. Raileigh takes pride in her role as a mentor, particularly in training young talents like Sam Ferguson, a 2023 graduate from PVHS. Despite being young and relatively new to Pizza Hut, Sam quickly rose through the ranks, guided by Raileigh’s dedicated coaching. “I took a lot of time training with her and practicing with her just to see how far we could go,” Raileigh explains.
Sam’s natural talent and Raileigh’s dedicated coaching paid off when Sam won the restaurant level competition, then the franchise level, and continued to advance all the way to nationals. “We had 33,000 cooks compete last year, and she made it to the top,” Raileigh proudly shares. At the national finals in Plano, Texas, Sam competed against some of the most experienced cooks in the country, including a two-time national champion. Despite the pressure, Sam remained composed and focused, securing second place in the nation in 2023. “She just absorbed knowledge like it was nothing,” Raileigh recalls. “Watching her at the last competition, you could just tell she was destined to win.”
Sam Ferguson
Nationals in Plano, TX
This past July, Sam, at 18-years-old, won the national competition. Now, Sam and Raileigh’s journey has reached an even more impressive milestone: the first-ever international Pizza Hut competition, with America to participate in, to be held in Dubai in November. The international competition represents a significant step up from the national level, requiring competitors to adapt to different standards and practices from around the world. “This is the first year they’re doing an international competition where we have the ability to compete, and it’s in Dubai,” Raileigh notes. “It’s not hosted by America, so it’s a whole new level of competition.”
2024 National Champions
Preparing for the international stage has been an intensive process for both Raileigh and Sam. The competition will feature cooks from around the globe, each bringing their unique styles and techniques. “I’ve been training Sam on everything she needs to know,” Raileigh explains. “The smallest mistake can get you docked points, so we’ve been working on perfecting every detail.” The competition will include making pizzas to exact specifications, with judges closely observing everything from the amount of sauce to the color of the crust.
Raileigh is not just preparing Sam for the technical challenges but also for the psychological pressure of competing on an international stage. “I’ve seen people in these competitions shaking with nerves, but Sam handles it so well. She’s fast, accurate, and composed,” Raileigh says. “This year, it’s a dual competition, so we’re working as a team. Sam will be making the pizza, and I’ll be doing a demonstration/presentation of the finished product.”
The excitement surrounding the competition is palpable, not just for Raileigh and Sam but for the entire Pizza Hut community. “It’s a really big deal,” Raileigh says. “We’re the two competitors representing all of America’s Pizza Huts. I think there are over 7,000 stores, so it’s an honor.” The competition is set to be a grand event, with competitors from countries like Ecuador, Egypt, and Bahrain. “It’s surreal to think about competing against people from all over the world,” Raileigh reflects. “But I have a really good feeling about this. I think we can definitely win.”
As they prepare for the competition, Raileigh emphasizes the importance of enjoying the experience and learning from it, regardless of the outcome. “I keep telling Sam to just enjoy it. Don’t spend all your time stressing about winning. You made it here, and that’s already an incredible achievement.”
The journey from a local Pizza Hut in Pahrump to an international competition in Dubai has been an extraordinary one for Raileigh and Sam. It’s a testament to their hard work, dedication, and the strong support system within their company. “I’m really excited and proud of her,” Raileigh says. “This may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and we’re going to make the most of it.”
As Raileigh and Sam head to Dubai in November, they carry with them the hopes and support of their entire community. Whether they bring home the international title or not, they have already achieved something remarkable by reaching this level and representing their country on a global stage.
