MasterChef Junior Winner Honored By Milton Leaders

MILTON, GA -- Rising seventh-grader and Milton resident Jasmine Stewart visited City Hall on July 24 where city leaders honored the young resident's incredible accomplishment as the season five winner of MasterChef Junior.

Roughly 5,000 children ages eight to 13 applied and participated in an open casting call for the fifth season of FOX's MasterChef Junior.

Out of that applicant pool, only 500 were selected to audition and Jasmine was among those. Following her Top 40 selection, Jasmine would go on to compete and win the competition with a three-course meal that featured an appetizer of scallops and white fish, a lobster and coconut curry main dish, and a signature sticky rum cake with pineapple chips.

"A number of our city staff were closely following Jasmine as she competed week after week," said Milton City Manager Steve Krokoff. "Going from 40 to 20 then to 12, and then her incredible comeback after she was originally eliminated, city hall was on pins and needles rooting behind the scenes."

Jasmine's mom, Deborah Stewart, her daughter has "always loved cooking since she was a little girl."

According to Jasmine, the best part about competing in MasterChef Junior was being around people with shared interests and a real love for cooking.

Moments after being crowned the new champion, Jasmine stated, "This is the biggest moment of my entire life. Who would ever think a little girl from Milton, Georgia, would ever win MasterChef Junior?"

Jasmine has plans to create her own cookbook and hopes to one day have her own cooking show. For now, she is looking forward to returning to the Ron Clark Academy in the fall and plans to join Milton firefighters in the kitchen during the city's annual Pancake Breakfast with Santa at Station 43 on Dec. 9.

Photo: Jasmine Stewart and her family with the Milton City Council. Credit: city of Milton