The winner of the reality competition series “Survivor 42” is a Canadian for the second year in a row. Maryanne Oketch, a 24-year-old seminary student from Ajax, Ont., was the last one standing in Wednesday night’s Season 42 finale. Maryanne Oketch won a $1 million prize and became the first Black Canadian woman to win “Survivor,”.

The episode began with Maryanne Oketch, Jonathan Young, Mike Turner, Romeo Escobar, and Lindsay Dolashewich remaining after 23 days in the wilderness. It all came down to Oketch and Turner, a firefighter from New Jersey, after a series of games and obstacles. Oketch won with seven jury votes to one, to rousing applause from her fellow competitors.

Oketch was born in the German state of Baden-Württemberg in Karlsruhe, Germany. Her parents, who are Kenyans, brought her to Canada when she was a child. She attended McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, and graduated with a degree in Integrated Science in 2020. She also has a Master’s degree from a seminary.

Oketch received critical acclaim for her performance on Survivor 42 after the season’s finale aired. During the season, Hartley Jafine, a professor at Oketch’s alma mater McMaster, praised her kindness, positivity, leadership, and authenticity. One of Oketch’s McMaster professors, Chad Harvey, praised her authenticity, saying, “The persona she exhibited on the show is very much who she is and how I remember her.”