Saint David's Magazine Vol. 34 No 1 | Page 64

GEN E R ATIONS Saint David’s Alumnus Wuta Onda ’02 Makes National Appearance on FOX Network’s “MasterChef” A special education teacher at Lyons School in Brooklyn, New York, Saint David’s Wuta Onda ’02 was a proud contestant in Season 10 of the FOX network show “MasterChef.” Following his participation, Wuta connected with us for a Q&A session to share his experience with the Saint David’s community. Q: How did you become one of the 20 contestants for this show? As a schoolteacher, do you have cooking aspirations for the future? A: Becoming a contestant was not planned! Cooking has always been a hobby for me – something I could do to bring my friends together. In my school, I had been working with a chef on a plate-based cooking club with students. One day, a friend simply told me there would be an open casting call. I prepared a General Tso’s cauliflower and garlic rice, went downtown to the casting call – and the rest was history! My cooking dreams are now bigger. I want to cook for people – and teach others how to cook for themselves. As a lifelong learner, I want to travel and learn how to cook things from all around the world. I also hope to achieve a platform to push positive messaging: facing fears, finding a calling, bringing people together, and creating your own story. Q: Advancing through the show is an incredible feat. Can you tell us a bit about your life experiences that enhanced your cultural appreciation in relation to your culinary evolution? A: As a kid, I learned from trips to Nigeria as well as the annual Saint David’s curriculum- 64  •  Saint David’s Magazine driven trip to Italy. There’s no better way to learn about culture than to become fully immersed in it. During my trip to Italy, I recall falling in love with the flavors that were so different than those I had known from back home. As I travelled more, I found that travel helped me explore other flavors. I’ve also made it to Guatemala and learned how to incorporate spices and peppers to create unique vegetarian dishes. Since then, I’ve been to Thailand and learned how to make the best teriyaki, which helped win my MasterChef apron. Q: When you reflect on your Saint David’s experience, what sticks out? Favorite classes and memories? Do you stay in touch with friends through our alumni network? A: I still remember my first day like it was yesterday when my mom dropped me off! When I think about my Saint David’s experience, I remember how important it was to experience hands-on learning – that has always been the best way for me to make connections. Saint David’s taught me that you can learn just as much from experience as you can from a book. This lesson has been crucial to my own teaching. I can’t imagine being as successful (teaching history through art) if I didn’t have this experience myself. Being able to help my own students connect with the world in the way that I was taught has helped them think critically. Professionally, I have taught Grades Seven and Eight – the same years that I have found most pivotal to my own growth. I have a lot of great memories from Saint David’s! I will never forget teachers like Mr. Ryan who taught us (boys) how to be good men and have layers to our