Kardea Brown shares her thoughts on the young chefs as the Baking Championship: Next Gen season concludes: “The young chefs have helped me become a better person.”

As this season of Baking Championship: Next Gen comes to a close, Kardea Brown is feeling grateful — and a little emotional.

In a heartfelt Instagram post shared Feb. 27, the Food Network star, 38, reflected on wrapping production, writing that her “heart is so full” after watching the young contestants step into the kitchen with “courage, creativity, and pure joy.”

“Every laugh, every nervous moment, every incredible creation reminded me of the power of curiosity, resilience, and the joy of learning from one another,” Brown shared alongside photos from set, including sweet behind-the-scenes moments with the kid chefs and co-host Duff Goldman, 51.

The cookbook author went on to muse on how meaningful the series has been to her. “Hosting alongside my dear friend @duffgoldman has been such a gift… his knowledge and laughter made every challenge brighter,” she wrote, before adding that it was ultimately the children who left the biggest impression. “They reminded me to dream boldly, to take risks, and to savor every messy, beautiful moment.”

Speaking directly to the kid bakers who competed through the season, Brown thanked them for sharing their hearts, adding, “I am endlessly inspired by you, and I can’t wait to see all the sweetness you bring into the world.”

The sentiment echoes what Brown recently told PEOPLE in an exclusive interview about her experience filming the series. While she noted expecting plenty of baking talent, she didn’t anticipate getting a crash course in Gen Alpha slang.

“Listen, these kids had me learning new words every day,” Brown recalled at the time. “They’d say something and I’d be like, ‘Wait — what does that mean?’” From calling a dessert “mid” to declaring that anything “ate,” the sibling duos competing on the series kept her on her toes. “I was like, okay, I need a translator,” Brown joked. “But I loved it. They were teaching me.”

Beyond the playful language, Brown said working with children feels deeply personal. Before becoming a Food Network mainstay, she worked as a school teacher and social worker — experiences that shape how she shows up on set. “Working with the kids is something totally different because it takes me back to my time where I was a school teacher and social worker,” she told PEOPLE. “So it just puts me right back in my element with food and children.”

As she wrote in her recent post, the experience has made a profound impact on her culinary prowess and beyond. The contestants, she highlighted, “made me a better host, a better baker, and maybe even a better person.”