Meet Elizabeth Brown, 22, who won WorldSkills cooking medal in Shanghai

The 48th WorldSkills Competition took place in Shanghai recently, where nine US competitors from the SkillsUSA team showcased their skills against the best of the best from across the world from September 22-27, 2026. Among them was Elizabeth Brown, a 22-year-old cooking competitor from Missouri who won the competition. Brown showcased world-class culinary technique, speed and artistic precision and earned the designation among 18 other competitors in the 45-person field. Brown’s WorldSkills appearance was supported by Unilever, ZWILLING and Smithfield Foods.Brown is a native of Columbia and a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in New York. She is the SkillsUSA Missouri high school state champion in culinary arts and the silver medallist at the 2023 national SkillsUSA Championships. “My experience with SkillsUSA has ingrained qualities needed for me to thrive in my industry,” Brown said before the competition.