Today, we’re thrilled to introduce Melisa Gondo Chilimanzi (RCN ’12), a recent contestant on The Great Australian Bake Off. Melisa’s journey to the Bake Off Shed has been a long and inspiring one, drawing flavours, ideas, and even her Viking-themed creations from her time at UWC Red Cross Nordic.

“Reflecting on my time at RCN and my baking journey,” she says, “so much of what I made on the show was inspired by the people I met and the flavours of Norway.” Melisa recalls how birthdays at RCN were celebrated by baking cakes in the dayrooms, often with her running to the local shop for brownie mix. “So much of it started in Flekke“.

After RCN, Melisa earned a business degree from the University of Pennsylvania and began a career in finance, first in New York City, and then in Sydney, Australia, where she has lived for seven years. “Finance is very structured,” she shares, “and baking has been my creative outlet.” Her baking passion grew during the COVID-19 pandemic, as she experimented with new recipes and shared them on social media. Encouraged by a friend, she auditioned for The Great Australian Bake Off—an experience that taught her new skills and fueled her drive to improve and try again. Two years later, she made it to the final 12.

During the competition, Melisa drew on memories from Norway and RCN for inspiration. In episode 4, Melisa baked a Viking ship using pepperkake, inspired by many nights in the day rooms and cantina eating pepperkake around Christmas. Her Viking ship biscuit vehicle, for example, was crafted with great historical detail, featuring wheels to replicate how Viking boats were rolled inland. “That was completely inspired by my time in Norway, and I’m proud I got to tell that story.” Her “Blåbær Scones” in episode 3 also paid tribute to Norway, blending blueberry jam—a flavour she first tasted in Flekke—with memories of the school’s knekkebrød and jam during Cookie breaks. And for a colourful cake challenge in episode 5, she created a Kente inspired Sarawak layer cake, inspired by fond memories of Daniel and Barbara and the Ghanaian Community that embraced her as family during her time at RCN.

Melisa’s baking passion has since evolved into her own business, Mondi. “Mondi,” derived from the word “zvimondimwi”, represents the delightful sweets she grew up enjoying. Currently a weekend side hustle, she hopes Mondi will one day grow into a cake studio or even a chocolate company, celebrating African heritage and crafting chocolates inspired by Africa’s vibrant flavours and rich cocoa tradition.

Reflecting on her The Great Australian Bake Off experience, Melisa admits that being filmed while baking was intimidating. “Suddenly, you’re in an unfamiliar kitchen with cameras on you,” she recalls. “I felt a responsibility representing my culture as a Black woman on TV, but it was about finding confidence within.” RCN, she says, helped her gain a deeper appreciation for her heritage, thanks to the pride her fellow students took in their own cultures. “When I got to RCN, I met all these other people, from many different cultures, who had so much pride in their own culture. This inspired me to learn about my own culture and have more pride in it. Being able to tell my story made me feel really proud! I would encourage everyone to explore and open themselves up beyond traditional boundaries. For me, during my time at RCN I just thought, I’m going to study, get a degree and build a career in finance. But now branching out, baking, trying to think outside of that box. And it’s been such an enriching experience learning many different skills. So I’d really, just really encourage everyone to just think outside of traditional career and life boxes and just be open to how life can shape up.”

Melisa’s message to the broader RCN community says “ I’d like to stay connected to the broader RCN community and I’d love for everyone to follow my instagram page: @mels_baketopia. “

If you would like to watch the episodes of The Great Australian Bake Off and see the incredible display of Melisa’s baking skills, please check this YouTube channel!