Abijah Levy Minor is a sixth grader at California Virtual Academies, and he’s been in the kitchen since he was a little boy.
“I enjoy making people happy with my meals, and I also like to have fun in the process of cooking,” said the 12-year-old, whose mom said his passion was noticeable at a very young age.
“I used to put him in the chair when he was too small to stand, and then as he got bigger and could stand, I put a stool next to me and had him get his hands in whatever I was making,” said Abijah’s mother Orite Levy.
Abijah’s hobby and the Raw Alaska he prepared earned him a spot in the final round of the 2025 K12 National Cook-Off.
Out of more than 400 students who applied, Abijah and four other young chefs have advanced to the final round to be held in Arlington, Virginia.
There will be two rounds. In the first round, he will have one hour to make an entrée after blindly drawing an ingredient card.
“I’m excited, I’m nervous, I’m scared,” Abijah said. “I’m proud of myself.”
