Beni Cwiakala, an honor roll student at Namaste Charter School and the winner of the sixth season of the MasterChef Junior televised cooking contest, received a special surprise from Illinois 2nd District State Representative Theresa Mah at a school assembly on Tuesday, June 26. To honor Cwiakala's achievement, Mah presented her with HR 1159, an Illinois House resolution that details Cwiakala's accomplishments and provides congratulations and well-wishes for future endeavors.
Cwiakala has said she plans to use the $100,000 she won in the contest to fund organizations focusing on child nutrition and to set up a food truck that will show kids how to cook healthy food. As previously reported here, she has been a cooking fan all her life and plans to continue to be engaged with the culinary arts.
Cwiakala was a fifth grader at Namaste at the time of the competition, and has continued to attend the school while residing with her family in the nearby Pilsen neighborhood.
The text of the resolution reads as follows:
HR1159
HOUSE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate Beni Cwiakala on being named the MasterChef Junior Season Six winner; and
WHEREAS, Beni Cwiakala served a three-course dinner that the judges called incredible; for the appetizer round, she served smoked salmon with corn blini, pickled radishes, and lemon-herb creme fraiche; in the entree round, she took a risk by serving a veal chop, something she had never cooked, with beet-potato fondant, red cabbage sauerkraut, and mustard cream sauce; for dessert, she served a deconstructed apple tartlet with walnut crumble, apple-brandy cream, and cranberry coulis; and
WHEREAS, Beni Cwiakala landed on top during more challenges than any other Season Six contestant; the final challenge capped a near-perfect season for her, and earned her praise from the judges, one of whom noted, "there's not an element that's done with anything short of perfection"; and
WHEREAS, Beni Cwiakala won a trophy and a $100,000 prize, which she said will go to organizations that help feed kids and a food truck she can eventually use to teach kids how to cook healthy food; and
WHEREAS, Beni Cwiakala lives with her family in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago, and at the time of the competition, she was a fifth grade student at Namaste Charter School in McKinley Park; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Beni Cwiakala on winning Season Six of MasterChef Junior, and we wish her success in her future endeavors; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Beni Cwiakala as an expression of our esteem and respect.
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