Chopped Teen Tournament, Season 3: Meet the Competitors

Get to know the 16 teens competing for $25,000 in Season 3 of Chopped Teen Tournament.

Meet the Tournament's Teen Competitors

This third season of the Chopped Teen Tournament features four preliminary rounds, airing Aug. 23, Aug. 30, Sept. 6 and Sept. 13. The winner from each of those rounds will compete in the finale on Sept. 20 for a chance to win $25,000 and the title of Chopped Teen Champion. These 16 talented young adults are competing for that opportunity. Get to know what they're all about.

Battle 1: Myla

Myla's interest in cooking began when she was 6, when she would help her aunt in the kitchen. Together they would watch Food Network. Myla continued her cooking lessons with her mom, from whom she learned the importance of not overseasoning your food. In high school Myla studies business, which she knows will be integral to her future culinary career. She is also very much into competitive sports, and she's involved in her church. Myla likes to feature her African roots in her cooking.

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Battle 1: Jared

Jared spent most of his formative years playing basketball, and only a year ago, after he completed a summer culinary program, did he become interested in cooking. He now works at Crabtree restaurant in Chappaqua, N.Y., taking the competitive edge he gained from sports and applying it to food. At Crabtree he has learned everything from knife skills to butchering. When he's not playing sports, or attending high school, Jared reads cookbooks and watches Food Network.

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Battle 1: Kamryn

Kamryn comes from culinary blood — her parents met while attending Johnson & Wales, and her dad is still a chef. He started Kamryn cooking at the age of 5, using his young daughter as a sous chef. Now the tables have turned and Kamryn cooks dinners up to four night a week with her dad as her sous chef. In high school Kamryn enjoys science and oftentimes likes to incorporate it into her cooking — she hopes to one day combine the two in a restaurant. She is a big fan of Chopped, and she knows she won't forget an ingredient.

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Battle 1: Nicholas

Ever since he was little, Nicholas has known he was born to be a chef. Both of Nicholas' parents are toy makers, so he learned much of what he knows from both sets of grandparents; his biggest takeaways from them are pasta and meatballs. He currently attends a culinary academy high school, where he's mentored by a former Chopped competitor. Nicholas is very competitive in sports. Plus, growing up with three older brothers taught him to fend for himself.

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Battle 2: Lyanna

Lyanna was always entranced watching her mom and grandma cook, but she wasn't allowed to start helping with food prep until the age of 9. After making her first PB&J, Lyanna knew cooking was her life's direction. She's currently studying both culinary arts and business at a vocational high school. She is also the garde manger at Carbone in New York City, where she originally started as a pastry intern. She loves cooking Italian foods and Trinidadian dishes of her heritage; she also tries to make time for her other passion, dance.

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Battle 2: Nathan

Nathan's enjoyed cooking ever since he was 10. Pursuing a culinary career was an obvious direction, even if it meant dropping out of high school after his junior year to his parents' disappointment. At 15 he started working at Jean-Georges, then he worked at The Inn at Pound Ridge, Oceana and 42 Restaurant at the Ritz-Carlton, and he now works at Pulpo in Greenwich, Conn. He's since gotten his GED, and he hopes to continue his education in culinary school.

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Battle 2: Samantha

Samantha learned to value hard working from her parents at a young age, but the one thing she didn't learn from them was how to cook. That came from her baby sitter, Sharon, who taught her different techniques and cooking styles. In high school Samantha is involved in the cooking club, oftentimes putting cooking above her studies, but she knows culinary school is next for her. In her spare time, she runs her own charity, East 129th Street Cooks, which teaches kids how to cook.

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Battle 2: Thomas

With an older brother who's a chef, Thomas started to get interested in cooking when he'd visit his brother at the restaurant. Thomas is now enrolled at a vocational high school. When he's not in school, he loves to cook for family and friends, and he even catered his grandma's 80th birthday party. He loves cooking Italian food and modern cuisine. He likes to keep his technique sharp by working at a local restaurant and food truck.

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Battle 3: Brittany

Since the age of 4, Brittany has been cooking, first with her mom and grandma, then later whipping up dinners for six people every night all by herself since the age of 12. She attends a regular high school and is a culinary student at a technical center. Brittany has known hardships in her life, but she considers herself lucky to be working toward something she loves. Her busy schedule leaves her with little time for extracurricular activities, but she always finds time to watch Chopped.

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Battle 3: Gabriel

Growing up, Gabriel loved playing with plastic kitchen toys, pretending to cook. Then he realized he wanted to cook with real food, and he started paying more attention to his mom in the kitchen. Besides cooking, Gabriel has also been playing the piano since the age of 4. He attends a performing arts high school, but he wants to go to culinary school after he graduates. Gabriel also likes to garden, and he finds it rewarding to see everything grow. He dreams of one day opening a restaurant that will feature the cooking of his Puerto Rican and Honduran background.

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Battle 3: Mukanjo

Born in Zambia, Mukanjo moved to Los Angeles with his parents at a young age. In the States he began to get interested in cooking, and he started creating his own recipes. He was inspired to cook seafood from his grandfather, who is an avid fisherman. Currently he's juggling his culinary pursuits with a modeling and acting career. He's appeared in commercials and as an extra on TV shows.

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Battle 3: Remmi

Remmi has been in the kitchen since the age of 4, cooking her first complete meal by the age of 7. She still loves cooking at home, oftentimes with her mom. At the age of 8 she began her own web cooking show, Cook Time with Remmi; she's also written a cookbook of global and healthy recipes. She is currently in the process of launching healthy snack boxes for kids. Remmi considers herself a full-blown business woman, and she is excited to share her passions with the world.

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Battle 4: Eliana

Eliana started cooking at the age of 4. Whenever her mom would tell her to go outside and play, Eliana would insist on staying inside and cooking instead. She currently attends an arts conservatory high school, where she's enrolled in the culinary program. At the age of 10, Eliana self-published her first cookbook, and since then she has released two more; she is currently working on her fourth. She also has a food blog, YouTube channel and weekly radio show. Her cooking style is inspired by her hometown, New Orleans, and its different cuisines.

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Battle 4: Jeffrey

Business has always been in Jeffrey's blood: When Jeffrey was 10, he baked holiday cookies and sold them door-to-door with the help of his brother. At 15 Jeffrey decided he wanted to become a baker, and he started an internship at a local bakery, where he eventually worked full time. He also runs a cookie business, The Cookie Boys, with his brother. Jeffrey's currently home-schooled, and he is working toward getting his GED. When he's not baking, Jeffrey enjoys reading comics and sci-fi books, and he does a mean impression of Batman.

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Battle 4: Jonas

For Jonas, cooking started as a hobby and turned into a passion. He's now been cooking regularly for the past five years, and he learns a lot through watching Food Network. He enjoys baking and cooking Asian cuisine. Jonas is also a talented singer and musician, and he is working on a record. He's undecided about whether to become a pastry chef or a musician, but he hopes to one day attend culinary school abroad. When he's not busy with either of his passions, he fences and runs cross country.

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Battle 4: Shawna

Shawna learned much of what she knows about cooking from her mom. And Shawna helped her dad, a hunter, cook the wild meats he brought home. She's currently enrolled in a culinary program at a technical school, and she loves when she's tasked with cooking random ingredients, much like on Chopped. She recently went on a culinary trip to Europe, and she hopes to one day work in France. Besides cooking she's passionate about painting and horseback riding.

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