From holiday dinners steeped in Ukrainian tradition to receiving top honours at a prestigious culinary school, Stonewall’s Brooke Lupyrypa’s journey from her hometown kitchen to the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts (PICA) in Vancouver is rooted in family, passion and persistence.
Brooke Lupyrypa of Stonewall holds her Top Student certificate from the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts in Vancouver, where she recently completed the school’s intensive culinary program
Lupyrypa was recently named Top Student at PICA, an accolade recognizing outstanding performance, consistency and leadership throughout the intensive culinary program.
“I grew up surrounded by culinary inspiration,” she said. “Every holiday and special occasion revolved around food, so I’ve always associated it with family and friends. My parents always encouraged my sister and me to pursue our dreams, and for me, that dream was to be in a constant state of learning and growth.”
Before enrolling at PICA, Lupyrypa was completing her bachelor’s degree at the University of Manitoba. A year before graduation, she decided to apply to culinary school and relocated to Vancouver shortly after.
She said her inspiration came from generations of family members who worked in kitchens, fishing camps and wedding venues.
“For me, I always felt most connected to my family while cooking or eating Ukrainian food,” she said. “I have many memories making pierogies, holubtsi and pyrizhky for big holidays. I learned from a young age the amount of time and dedication that went into making those meals.”
At PICA, Lupyrypa was drawn in by the calibre of instructors and the promise of a strong foundational education.
“Coming into the industry with no prior experience, I knew I needed to learn from highly accomplished chefs,” she said. “My experience was incredibly rewarding — not just in the classroom, but through hands-on events where I worked with many notable chefs in Vancouver.”
One of the biggest influences on her growth was Chef Ben Kiely, whom Lupyrypa credits for creating a supportive yet challenging kitchen environment.
“He always pushed us outside of our comfort zones,” she said. “But he also encouraged us to be creative and find our space in the kitchen.”
A highlight of her time in the program came when she assisted Chef Kiely on stage at the Steveston Spot Prawn & Seafood Celebration.
“I was able to overcome my fear of cooking and speaking in front of an audience simply because he never hesitated to believe I could excel at it,” she said.
Receiving the Top Student award was a moment of reflection and pride.
“Going into culinary school, I wanted to feel like I did everything I could as best as I could,” she said. “Being named Top Student gave me that validation.”
She credits her success to consistency and extra study time.
“I focused on learning the recipes and theory in advance so I could use class time to hone the details.”
Despite the rewarding experience, the program wasn’t without challenges.
“Staying motivated was tough — the early mornings, the constant training, the physical and mental toll,” she said. “But I leaned into discipline on the days motivation ran out.”
Looking ahead, Lupyrypa hopes to work in fine dining and travel the world while learning from different kitchens.
“I don’t know exactly where I’ll end up, but I plan to explore every opportunity I get,” she said.
To other young people from small towns with big dreams, she offered a simple message: “You can always come home, so go as far as you can for as long as you can. There’s an infinite amount of culinary knowledge out there — go look for it.”
