I grew up in a family full of home cooks and bakers and have had an interest in culinary arts for as long as I can remember. When I was 13, I found a recipe for macarons online. It took me six hours to make six of them but I felt like they turned out just perfect. After that, I started baking birthday cakes for members of my family. I received much positive feedback from everyone and my passion for baking and the pastry arts just blossomed from there. In 2017 I started branching out beyond family and friends. I entered the American Royal Under 18 Kids-Q in Kansas City, on behalf of my Aunt and Uncle’s professional BBQ team. I was excited to place fourth out of 38 teams. I entered again in 2018and this time also helped with the Team’s dessert entry. It was then that realized I enjoyed the science and chemistry involved in baking and pastry. I continue to compete with my Aunt and Uncles professional BBQ Team when time allows. When I found out that Raytown Schools have a culinary program at the Herndon Career Center, I knew I had to apply. I applied during my sophomore year of high school, was accepted and started in the fall of my junior year. By that time the COVID pandemic had changed the world and I had to embrace the new reality of virtual high school along with virtual culinary school. We would get assignments every week from our instructor and I would then have to construct elaborate dishes in the kitchen in front of my family. During this time, I started volunteering weekly at an area animal shelter to get out of the house. I then started marrying my two passions of baking and my love for animals. When the COVID restrictions started to lift, I started baking gourmet dog treats and selling them at local festivals. What I did not sell, I donated to the animal shelter. To get the required hours for my ProStart certification, I worked as a server in a restaurant and then was given a wonderful opportunity to work in an independently owned bakery where I still work today. In my senior year of high school and the Herndon Career Center, I was chosen to be on the culinary business management team. Following several months of after school practice we won first in the Missouri ProStart Invitational competition. Our team heads to the National ProStart Competition in May of 2022. Our business model incorporated some of the aspects we learned during COVID, which changed the restaurant business greatly. We applied a no contact, safety forward plan that used smart technology such as a QR code linked to our menu, on-line ordering and a customer rewards program. My high school cumulative GPA is 3.95 and I have maintained a 4.4 GPA for the past two years. Currently, I am ranked 11th out of 240 senior classmates and have a 98.7% attendance rate. I have always pictured myself at the Culinary Institute of America and would love the opportunity to further develop my skills. Ultimately, I would like to take what I have learned back to the Kansas City area and possibly open my own bakery.