Future Channahon Chef Wants to Open a Local Restaurant

Kaylee Kopriva, 12, entering seventh grade, Minooka Junior High School

Kaylee Kopriva, 12 of Minooka, is determined to be a chef. Her favorite dish to prepare and eat is pasta. As a matter of fact, she prepares all different kinds.

The Channahon resident could be the next Emeril Lagasse. All she has to do is add his signature “Bam” to her dishes, just like he does.

Originally from the Midway Airport neighborhood of Chicago, Kaylee and her family moved to Channahon a few years ago. While she prefers the semi-rural life of Channahon over the city congestion, she still is a Southsider by heart. She is of course a Chicago White Sox Fan. 

Kopriva likes riding her bike in the open space in Channahon. Perhaps one day she will hop on her bike and ride to her restaurant that will be located in town. 

In the meantime, she would love to visit Hoboken, NJ and meet Buddy Valastro Jr. a.k.a the Cake Boss. Rachel Ray is another favorite chef she wants to meet to. And than perhaps the two can attend Kopriva’s grand opening of her restaurant in a few years.

However if the cooking career falls through, Kopriva would like to become a teacher. She loves math and social studies and would love to teach to students in Minooka schools.

Speaking of school, Kopriva will be a seventh grader at Minooka Junior High School this fall. She plans to be part of the drama team. She enjoys being the stage crew and would like to try out for an acting part. Kopriva also wants to try out for the softball team. She currently plays for a softball league in Minooka.

Kopriva is enrolled in the Bob Golden School of Defense where she studies Ryu Ku Kempo Karate. She currently is 4th qyu purple belt and is working on earning a 3rd qyu brown belt. She has been in the school for three years. She plans to do a double break at the Three Rivers Festival Demo on Sunday, August, 14; a standing knee break followed by a front snap kick.

In her free time, Kopriva enjoys reading crimes and mysteries. She also spends quality time studying for her karate promotions. A great deal of her time is spent with her family, especially her grandparents. She has a younger sister Morgan, 7 and a baby brother or sister due in a few weeks.

Being with her friends and being involved in physical activities are a must for Kopriva. To keep active she loves to go swimming at the . Recently she attended a summer camp that keep her very active too.

Kopriva, attended a week-long diabetes camp in Monticello, IL, hosted by the University of Illinois. This was the second summer she has attended the camp. And she had a blast.

Every day, camp counselors made sure Kopriva and her fellow campers participated in activities such as swimming, archery, tennis, soccer and arts and crafts. But more importantly, they monitored the campers sugar levels.

The camp is for children ages 5 though 17. Some kids than become a counselor.

“I had a good time,” Kopriva said. “ I plan on coming back next year and eventually becoming a counselor.”