Hattiesburg native makes national television show

HATTIESBURG, Miss. - A Hattiesburg native will represent Mississippi on Fox's television series Master Chef. Katie Dixon of Hattiesburg casually applied to Master Chef's auditions in Jackson after her friend Cameron sent her an application.

"I just kind of laughed and said Cameron, there is no way in the world I an ever be on Master Chef" said Dixon.

Dixon owns Shine Cafe, which serves healthy meals, she is also a personal fitness trainer at Anatomies Health Club, so making clean, organic meals for the body is her forte.

Dixon played basketball for Mississippi College where she realized foods have a big impact on one's overall health.

She said, "I was small, I had a big dream to play basketball." Dixon added, "So I started eating healthy foods to help me perform better."

Dixon's love for cooking started when she would go to her grandmother's farm in Brookhaven.

"I would watch her cook every meal, breakfast, lunch, and dinner and as a child I always looked up to my grandmother and always wanted to be like her" said Dixon.

Dixon said she hopes being on Master Chef will teach Mississippians about healthy eating habits, "food is fuel for the body, so why put garbage, put in pure, good, organic food."

Whether she wins or not, her experience on the show has taught her the value of perseverance.

"Pretty much the up's and down's, the twists and turns, you find an inner strength that you did not know existed" Dixon said.

Master Chef Season 7 premiers on June 1.