Two years ago, 17-year-old Chloe Rosen endured a frightening car accident that left her in recovery for several months with a minor head injury. With a lot of free time suddenly on her hands, Chloe decided to volunteer with a cooking class at her local elementary school several days a week.
“It ended up being a very health-conscious cooking class—it got me really excited about healthy eating,” Chloe recalls. “It made me realize the importance of educating kids about how to be healthy, getting the information out there.”
From that first spark, her passion for cooking continued to grow and grow: In 2010, she was the recipient of the Next Great Chef Award by Kiwi magazine. In 2012, she was the youngest chef featured on stage at “Chef Fest” at the New England Home Show, and was selected to serve as a counselor at Harvard University/Chop Chop magazine’s summer cooking and science camp. She continues to teach cooking classes at her local elementary school, where she inspires young children to adopt healthy eating practices.
Says Chloe: “Cooking is something that I’m really excited about. It’s somewhere I thought I would be able to make a difference in my community.”
In addition to her involvement as a teen chef, Chloe also serves on the Youth Alliance Board for the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. This month, Chloe is launching her service project, the “I PIC My Plate” contest, which is designed to generate awareness around nutrition and healthful choices through a photo submission-based contest. Contestants are encouraged to snap a photo of their healthy meal and submit it to Chloe via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or email.
“I want to empower kids to make better choices when it comes to eating and to feel a sense of pride about eating healthy,” Chloe explains.
Chloe maintains an active lifestyle by running Varsity cross-country at her high school, coxing for her high school’s crew team and regularly cycling with her father. “It’s all about finding ways to move your body more,” she says.
