Olivia Corianna Winston

DOB: 12/19/91 – 32 yrs. old

Olivia has lived her entire life in Fluvanna. Born at Martha Jefferson Hospital, she grew up in the Kent Store area, and then moved to the Troy community. 

After attending Palmyra Elementary School for K-1st grade and Central Elementary for grades 2-5, Olivia went to Fluvanna Middle School and Fluvanna High School, graduating in 2010—the last class at the ‘old’ high school. During her last two years of high school, she attended CATEC (Charlottesville Area Technical Education Center) to study culinary arts. She fondly remembers Mr. Bressan, who taught his students not only culinary arts, but how to talk to people and to be compassionate to others. 

Starting at the age of 10, Olivia became interested in cake decorating. A family friend gave her a Wilton Cake Decorating kit, and she taught herself how to make festive cakes for family and friends. She developed this interest into a small business while she was in high school.

Olivia’s CATEC experience inspired her to earn a culinary arts degree from Johnson and Wales University in Charlotte, North Carolina. There, her interests expanded from baking and pastry to healthy food and wellness. She stretched herself, even doing a culinary arts internship in far-away Peru.

Since college, Olivia had been employed as a chef at Westminster-Canterbury Retirement Community, does catering, and works as a private chef. She is particularly interested in helping people to develop a healthy diet.  When not working, Olivia loves gardening, camping, hiking and fishing. She is part of the volunteer team at Effort Church Food Bank. 

Olivia descends from the well-known Winston and Bruce families in the Kent Store area of Fluvanna. Her parents are Sherry and Robert Winston, Jr. Her paternal grandparents are Evelyn Hilda Jackson Winston and the late Robert James Winston, Sr. and her maternal grandparents are the late Melinda Jane Hackney Bruce and Thomas Henry Bruce. The latter, one of the first African American entrepreneurs in Kent’s Store, opened a convenience store and community gathering space for African Americans that he called T.H. Bruce’s Store. Olivia is considering re-opening that business in some form.

The Bruce family history has been traced to the 1800’s, with members enslaved at the Bremo Plantation in Fluvanna. Using Ancestry.com, Olivia said her African ancestry traces back to Togo and Benin in Africa.

Dedicated to making this world a better place and giving back to people in need, Olivia exudes kindness, professionalism and positive energy.

Olivia