My name is Belle White. I am a senior at Carlisle High School. I am 18 years old. The kitchen is my happy place. When I am stressed, I go bake a cake. When I am bored, I go make cupcakes to give away. When I feel sad, you will find me in the kitchen. Baking and cooking are something I am very passionate about. I love helping people and making people happy, and I found I can do that through the food industry. My first job was at a local donut shop. I am extremely involved in sports, academics, and extracurriculars that it was hard to find time for a job. At the donut shop, I was offered a position to work before school and on weekends, so I took that opportunity. There were several mornings where I had to be at work before 5 AM and then leave to be at tennis at 7:45. To say the least, I learned how to manage my time. I also learned customer service skills, like what to do if you mess up someone's order. I learned how to manage my money and to make it last more than just two Sonic trips. But the most important thing I learned throughout my two years of working there, was my love for the food industry. After I quit working there, I was heartbroken. I wanted to bake and give people treats. At first, I was just baking for my friends and family. Then I decided to make a Facebook post advertising what all I make. That really jumpstarted my "business." People I didn't even know were messaging me to make some type of sweets. This scholarship would help me pay for my tuition and lower the number of student loans I would have to take out. I plan on opening a bakery after college. I will already be doing so much to get that started and having the stress of funds is not something I am looking forward to. I am passionate about this and have been for years. When I make a goal, I am determined to complete it. I know, for a fact, I will own a restaurant one day. Any help I can receive along the way will be super beneficial to me. I understand that other hospitality students are applying for this scholarship, but there isn't another person as passionate and as motivated as I am.

My nana was an outstanding baker! She was in the kitchen all the time. She passed away due to breast cancer when I was 10. I never learned any baking or cooking tips from her. The only thing I remember is how happy it made her. She inspired me to want to be a baker from her passion. I have tried several times to recreate some of her recipes. One of my favorite memories of her is when she would wake up super early and make homemade donuts for me and my brother to have before we went to school. I wish more than anything that I could have learned more from her. Besides my nana inspiring me, my great-grandparents were some of my biggest supporters. My great grandparents are my meme and my punpaw. They were always down to try an experiment baked good/recipe, and they would always complement the food. They would tell basically everyone they knew just how good of a baker their great-grandchild was. My Punpaw passed away last year. It was heartbreaking! Before he passed, he told me "do great things in life Izzy." My name is Isabella, but everyone except my punpaw calls me Belle. He came up with the nickname Izzy when I was born. My mom was against nicknames other than Belle, so he called me Izzy to irritate her. My mom, dad, brother, and step dad love that I love to cook. They always appreciate it when they come home to something I cooked. Cooking connects my family and me. They are so excited about what I want my future career to be. They constantly are giving me advice. They are so proud of me and all that I have done. They truly want what is best for me and they give me the push that I need to meet my full potential. I plan on attending Arkansas Tech University next fall and majoring in hospitality. I, more than anything, want to own a bakery in the future. My family and I have already put a lot of thought into it. It would be a bakery and coffee shop. I would name it "Izzy B's" after my Punpaw. I can't give credit to one single person that influenced my decision in my future career because it wasn't just one person. My nana's passion, my great-grandparent's support, and my parent's excitement are what truly influenced me to pursue a career in culinary arts. I worked at a local donut shop for two years, and I learned so much that will help me in my future bakery. I sell custom cakes to people in my town, and I know for a fact that this is something that I want to do in the future.