In seventh grade my family friend Emily guided me through a six week long mentorship program that allowed for me to learn several advanced culinary practices. Over those six weeks, I watched as Emily demonstrated the different techniques, and I was absolutely amazed by the passion that I saw in her eyes. She had such a touch for it-- it seemed like there was magic in her hands that would mould whatever we were making into heaven. As the weeks went on, and I was doing less observing and more working, I started to notice a little feeling in my stomach as I would begin a recipe. That feeling grew each day to the point that I was putting off my academic school work to cook and bake more, to perfect my technique, and to advance to harder styles. I didn't even realize at first how committed I had gotten-- it felt so natural that it went unnoticed in my mind. When the project was over, I didn't have a reason to work on a new thing every week. I didn't have a plan of techniques I wanted to learn or a weekly meeting with my mentor to guide me, but I did have that little feeling in my stomach, the passion. I continued to practice the skills that Emily taught me, and eventually branched out into trying anything I could get the ingredients for in my grocery store. I learned that cooking failures are just recipes that need some adjustments, and that presentation is not everything. The way that Emily taught me helped me let go of my tendency to be a perfectionist, and instead focus on making the most progress that I could, one step at a time. Emily led me to understand that cooking is more than just making food. It is an art form that can be practiced a million times, yet never perfected. She gave me the base of knowledge that has led me to be able to advance my cooking and baking skills for the past six years to the point where people are always asking me to make them their birthday cakes. Because of the time that I spent in the kitchen with Emily, I feel so clear that pursuing anything other than baking would be going against my true passion, and I refuse to let a lack of financial support stop me from following my dreams.