The Team
Ben Sword
Ben Sword is a passionate and driven chef who has been based out of Edmonton his entire life, developing his skills in some of the city’s top kitchens, including the acclaimed Biera. He currently serves as a Junior Sous Chef at the prestigious Royal Glenora Club, where he brings precision, creativity, and leadership to every plate. Ben has trained under some of Canada’s most respected culinary figures, including Bruno Marti and JC Felicella, and spent time in Vancouver training with the previous Junior Culinary Team Canada. He also represented the country at the Culinary Olympics in Germany, where he proudly earned two silver medals. With a strong focus on modern culinary techniques and innovation, Ben continues to push his craft to new heights.It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Caleb Hart
My name is Caleb Hart and I'm a young chef from Kelowna. I started cooking professionally just after highschool and quickly followed that by completing my Culinary schooling at the Okanagan College.
Great food has always been in my blood, I come from a very culinary and agriculture heavy family. Much of my early life was spent eating really great food at family gatherings and helping my family out on the farm wherever I could. Being able to spend so much time around quality produce and great cookery was the seed of my love for cooking.
I've always been a very detail-oriented person, I love when all the small things add up. And thats exacty what makes great food great, numerous small details executed flawlessly. Every day being able to improve and further hone a dish, technique, knife cut, etc... Is what keeps me coming back. As much as I love the food and eating, I love the process just as much. it feels so rewarding see yourself improve in the same tasks and challenges.
I'm extremely grateful that I have the opportunity to represent Canada on the national stage. I think Canadas food culture has been growing and developing so much and I can't wait to showcase what Canadian food looks like when we play to our strengths and natural bounties.
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Danielle Parjan
My name is Danielle Parjan, and I am from a little town called Stony Plain in Alberta, Canada. I knew at a very young age that I wanted to be a chef and attend culinary school at NAIT. Growing up I had a lot of fond memories of food. When I began to show an interest in cooking, my family was really supportive. Their love and support have really enriched my life and fueled my passion for food. Without my family and friends, I wouldn't have made it this far in my career. I am now a proud graduate of both the Culinary Arts and Professional Meat Cutting and Merchandise programs.
I have been given the tremendous opportunity to be a part of Junior Culinary Team Canada, and to proudly represent my country on the world stage. Having competed as a member of NAIT’s Community Catering team in the 2024 IKA Culinary Olympics with, and proudly winning silver, I couldn’t pass up this chance to go back. It is an honour and privilege to represent my home, and to showcase the skills that I have learned by some amazing chefs and instructors at NAIT.
Jillian Sampson
Jillian discovered her passion for cooking in high school when her culinary teacher pushed her to compete in her first culinary competition, Skills Canada, where she placed first regionally and second provincially.
Jillian’s ambitious work ethic has led to numerous accolades, including silver medals at the 2025 Skills Alberta provincials and the 2024 Taste Canada’s Student Culinary Challenge in Toronto. One of her proudest achievements was being the youngest member of the NAIT Culinary Team’s historic all-women’s team at the IKA Culinary Olympics in Stuttgart, Germany, where she contributed to their silver medal win at just 17 years old.
Jill graduated from Culinary Arts at NAIT with honours and is currently studying Professional Meat Cutting and Merchandising. She is looking forward to completing the Baking and Pastry Arts program in the future.
Jill previously worked as both a line and banquet cook at the Fantasyland Hotel and currently works with the banquet team at The Royal Glenora Club, training under Crystal Higgins, the captain of the Canadian Community Catering Team. Jillian also teaches Ballet at J’Adore Dance. Whether creating culinary masterpieces or elegant pieces of choreography, in each of these environments, Jill discovered her knack for blending technical skills with a flair for creativity. Each dish she creates becomes a canvas for her imagination, and every culinary challenge becomes an opportunity to refine her techniques, further fueling a desire to bridge the gap between practical proficiency and comprehensive knowledge.
Collaboration lies at the heart of everything Jill does. She believes that the most extraordinary culinary creations emerge from the synergy of diverse talents, perspectives, and experiences uniting. She embraces collaboration as a catalyst for creativity, growth, and collective success. Jill enjoys being a member of a team because she can motivate, encourage, and assist others in achieving their goals. She is thrilled to be part of the Jr National Team representing the young chefs of Canada. She is excited to grow and learn from her teammates who share her passion for bringing love to life through cooking. Her favourite quote, ‘cooking is love made visible’ is an attribute to Kahlil Gibran’s poem “On Work”, which speaks about the expression of love.
Aimée Rossetti
Aimée Rossetti is a passionate young chef based in Edmonton, Alberta. With a deep love for the art of cooking, Aimée views the preparation of beautiful food as not just a skill, but a form of therapy—something that nourishes both the body and the soul.
In 2024, Aimée participated with the NAIT Community Catering Team, representing Canada at the IKA-Culinary Olympics in Stuttgart, Germany, where she honed her skills in cooking for large groups while fostering a strong sense of community. Her experience working with diverse teams to deliver nutritious and creative meals for various local organizations helped cement her commitment to the power of food as a tool for connection and well-being.
After her travels to Stuttgart, she wanted to travel more and continue doing what she loved in other countries. She chose to take a travel opportunity to the Philippines where she worked for a month, learning new traditions and food culture.
Aimée is excited to join Junior Culinary Team Canada, where she will take on new challenges and continue to grow. Her passion for culinary artistry, combined with her desire to make a positive impact through food, drives her to push boundaries and explore new ways to bring healing and joy through every dish she creates.
With a heart for community and a strong belief in the medicinal qualities of food, Aimée is eager to take the next steps in her culinary journey and make a lasting impression in the industry.
Hailey Whitford-Stiller
My name is Hailey Whitford-Stiller. I am 20 years old and grew up just outside of Leduc, Alberta. My love for cooking began at a very young age. I was always eager to help in the kitchen, and my parents quickly recognized my passion. They enrolled me in cooking classes early on, and from that point forward, I became increasingly independent—eventually preparing full meals and baked goods for my family on my own.
Alongside my love for food, I’ve always had a competitive spirit. Growing up in a large family and being involved in nearly every sport, I developed a strong drive to challenge myself. I soon realized that cooking could be more than just a passion—it could be a competition. Inspired by shows like Chopped Junior and Guy’s Grocery Games, I constantly asked my friends and family to rate my dishes and give feedback, always striving to improve.
When I learned about the Culinary Arts program at NAIT, I knew it was the right path for me. During my second year in the program, I had the incredible opportunity to compete in Taste Canada’s Cook the Books competition in Toronto alongside my teammate, Jillian Sampson. We were proud to bring home the silver medal, an experience that deeply fueled my passion and drive to keep growing in the culinary world.
I am currently studying Professional Meat Cutting and Merchandising at NAIT, with plans to pursue the Baking and Pastry Arts program in the near future. It is a true honor to be a member of the Junior National Culinary Team of Canada, and I am incredibly excited for the experiences and accomplishments that lie ahead.
Isak Jacobsen
My name is Isak Jacobsen, and I’m from Sherwood Park, Alberta. My passion for cooking started in high school, where I took the commercial foods program. This course gave me a glimpse of the food industry and introduced me into the world of cooking. The more time I spent in the kitchen, the more I fell in love with the energy, creativity, and sense of purpose that cooking brought into my life.
What I love most about cooking is how it brings people together. There’s nothing more rewarding than watching someone’s face light up when they take that first bite — it motivates me to keep improving and creating new dishes to share.
I’ve competed in the Skills Alberta competition in 2021, 2022, and 2025 — and each experience has helped me grow both personally and professionally. I also competed in the Varshney Cup at NAIT in November 2024 which challenged my creativity and strengthened my ability to work under pressure.
I began the Culinary Arts program at NAIT in September 2024, and I’m currently continuing to develop my skills and explore new areas of the industry.
Being part of Junior Culinary Team Canada is an incredible honor. I’m excited to represent my country, push my limits, and learn from the talented chefs around me — all while continuing to share my passion for food with others.
Sage Powder-Case
My name is Sage Powder-Case and I am from Stony Plain, Alberta. Baking has always been more than just a hobby for me; it's my passion and my happy place. I always found joy in the kitchen when it came to experimenting with different ingredients, especially in creating desserts.
Watching baking shows and seeing how they would take all the different ingredients and turn them into masterpieces, then watching the looks on other peoples faces as these creations were made, solidified what I want to do! To help turn my passion into a professional skill so I could share it with others, I enrolled in the Baking and Pastry Arts Program at NAIT.
While at NAIT I participated in the Clayton Folkers Cup in my first year of baking. I was skeptical at first because there were so many others that wanted to showcase their talents. But in the end being able to create a dessert, using unlimited ingredients and my creativity, and seeing what my efforts and creativity looks and taste like as a final product excited me. Being able to see what began as a drawing on paper then finally on a plate, is what makes baking exciting and being able to experiment with different types of food is what makes baking so much fun.
I'm so excited to be able to be part of Junior Team Canada. It is more than just being a part of an outstanding group of people, but also about being able to showcase my skills while working as a team. This is such a great opportunity to get out of my comfort zone and challenge myself to see what I can do and what our team can do together.
Mary Beazer
Mary discovered her passion for cooking growing up in rural Southern Alberta, where food, family, and produce from the land around and were part of everyday life. Surrounded by a large family and a deep appreciation for where food comes from, she quickly learned that cooking was a powerful way to bring people together.
Her competitive culinary journey began in her senior year of high school in 2022, when she competed in Skills Canada—winning gold at both the provincial and national levels. That experience sparked her drive to pursue the craft seriously and led her to enroll in the Culinary Arts program at NAIT, where she graduated with honours.
Now based in Edmonton, she works as a cook at RGE Road while proudly representing Canada with Junior Culinary Team Canada and bringing focus and dedication to learning to showcase Canada’s wide food culture and ingredients.
Mary is passionate about supporting and uplifting others in the culinary community and is honoured to represent the next generation of young Canadian chefs on the world stage along with her teammates who also share her passion for good food, community, and learning!
Kyla Casio
My love for cooking began in my family’s kitchen—watching my mom effortlessly whip up delicious meals and dreaming of the day I’d get to cook alongside her.
Although I haven't competed in any culinary competitions before joining the team, I’m excited to learn the dynamics of working together to create dishes that leave a lasting impression. I hope to take what I learn from both the team and the industry to explore and better understand a wide variety of cuisines all over the world.
Eberechi Ruth Onuoha
My name is Eberechi Ruth Onuoha. I’m 18 years old and was born in Nigeria. I’m currently entering my second year of Baking and Pastry Arts at NAIT in Edmonton. My passion for pastries began early—baking cakes for family and friends sparked a love for the craft that has only grown stronger over time.
I’ve competed in the Clayton Folkers Culinary Competition, where I placed 2nd. Currently, I’m working as an apprentice baker at the Fantasyland Hotel, gaining hands-on experience in a fast-paced, professional kitchen environment.
I joined Junior Culinary Team Canada to challenge myself and grow beyond the classroom. I see this opportunity as a way to refine my skills, expand my creativity, and build confidence in a professional setting. I also hope to connect with other passionate young chefs and learn from experienced mentors along the way.
Tallan Freh
Tallan Freh is a 23-year-old professional chef based in Kelowna, British Columbia, and a proud member of Junior Team Canada. After graduating from Okanagan College in 2021, he gained valuable experience working alongside some of the top chefs across the Okanagan and at Published on Main in Vancouver, where he further developed his culinary skills. He has also completed stages in Germany and Norway, learning new techniques and exploring different culinary traditions. In 2025, Tallan was recognized as Canada’s Junior Chef of the Year, reflecting his dedication to learning and growth. He approaches cooking with curiosity and care, focusing on refining his craft while creating dishes that bring people together and highlight the best of Canadian cuisine.