I have served my community at the Church Written Epistle Church of Jesus Christ. One way that I have helped my community is by helping organize the church. I have also volunteered as a helper for Vacation Bible School for the past 4 to 5 years. I helped the young children in my church learn more about the Bible and its stories. During that time, we made the learning process fun and easy for the kids to understand. I have also done free babysitting to help relieve the stress of some of my friends and family. During my 10th-grade year, our school had 2 weeks to focus on community service in Charlotte. We organized clothes and bath products at shelters and a sanctuary to help people get their lives back on track, like Angels & Sparrows. We also helped clean up the neighborhood around my school, and one woman came out of her home and told us how she really appreciated that we were cleaning the community because no one else would take the initiative. It made a huge impact since the neighborhoods around our school are in the lower class. In the future, I have plans to give back to my community. With my education, I can gain the knowledge I need to teach people in my community who want to learn how to bake professionally. Not everyone can afford college, so I want to teach people the skills needed to become a great baker and pastry chef. I would do this by either providing classes, whether in person or online, and teaching people the basic skills of baking. I would also provide different lessons with varying levels of difficulty for people who may want to learn more than just the basics of baking and pastry. The other route I would go would be going back to pastry school and becoming a teacher there. I have learned and continue to learn from the great pastry chefs at my school, and I would love to be a part of another young pastry chef's journey to becoming a great pastry chef. I would also want to positively impact my community by opening multiple bakeries and providing jobs in this industry. While there are a good number of jobs in this industry, a lot of them would require you to attend higher education for the business to consider people working in their position. I would want to provide jobs for the people who couldn't afford higher education and help them learn from the ground up. Before going into higher education, I started baking from a young age and learned and experimented with different pastries and desserts without any help. I want to help people who are in a similar position as younger me and help take that spark that they already have and make that skill flourish. Overall, creating an opportunity to help others thrive in their passion would make me feel like I have made an impact, even if it were to only be one person. This scholarship will help me by being able to continue to pay for my tuition. It will help me to achieve my dreams and goals, not only for myself but also to help others.

I have served my community at the Church Written Epistle Church of Jesus Christ. One way that I have helped my community is by helping organize the church. I have also volunteered as a helper for Vacation Bible School for the past 4 to 5 years. I helped the young children in my church learn more about the Bible and its stories. During that time, we made the learning process fun and easy for the kids to understand. I have also done free babysitting to help relieve the stress of some of my friends and family. \ During my 10th-grade year, our school had 2 weeks to focus on community service in Charlotte. We organized clothes and bath products at shelters and a sanctuary to help people get their lives back on track, like Angels & Sparrows. We also helped clean up the neighborhood around my school, and one woman came out of her home and told us how she really appreciated that we were cleaning the community because no one else would take the initiative. It made a huge impact since the neighborhoods around our school are in the lower class. In the future, I have plans to give back to my community. With my education, I can gain the knowledge I need to teach people in my community who want to learn how to bake professionally. Not everyone can afford college, so I want to teach people the skills needed to become a great baker and pastry chef. I would do this by either providing classes, whether in person or online, and teaching people the basic skills of baking. I would also provide different lessons with varying levels of difficulty for people who may want to learn more than just the basics of baking and pastry. The other route I would go would be going back to pastry school and becoming a teacher there. I have learned and continue to learn from the great pastry chefs at my school, and I would love to be a part of another young pastry chef's journey to becoming a great pastry chef. I would also want to positively impact my community by opening multiple bakeries and providing jobs in this industry. While there are a good number of jobs in this industry, a lot of them would require you to attend higher education for the business to consider people working in their position. I would want to provide jobs for the people who couldn't afford higher education and help them learn from the ground up. Before going into higher education, I started baking from a young age and learned and experimented with different pastries and desserts without any help. I want to help people who are in a similar position as younger me and help take that spark that they already have and make that skill flourish. Overall, creating an opportunity to help others thrive in their passion would make me feel like I have made an impact, even if it were to only be one person. This scholarship will help me by being able to continue to pay for my tuition. It will help me to achieve my dreams and goals, not only for myself but also to help others.

Since I was a young girl, I have loved baking. Around the age of ten, I had an Easy-Bake oven, and I would make mini cakes and cookies. I would always be in the kitchen making some dessert. When I was around fourteen, I baked my first cake. Over time, I continued to bake a variety of cakes, cookies, brownies, and other treats. This love for baking eventually grew into something more than just a hobby. I knew that I wanted to do this professionally. I mainly got into baking by watching YouTube videos. I watched Rosanna Pansino and Yolanda Gampp, who are successful female bakers. I watched them for multiple years. I would watch their videos on how to decorate a cake and learn different tips and tricks, and I applied those skills to my baking. About two years ago, I started my own business. Most of my customers are my family and friends, but my business has branched out to people outside of family and friends. I have baked for people who also work in the food industry, and I have made desserts for my peers at school, too. I am a Baking & Pastry and Food & Beverage Entrepreneurship major at Johnson & Wales University. My classes in baking & pastry arts and food & beverage entrepreneurship will help me gain the skills necessary for the baking side of the business. The entrepreneurship classes will help me learn more about the business side of running a business. After finishing school, I want to either own a bakery or become a private pastry chef. While achieving my goals, I also want to help others pursue theirs. In the future, I have plans to give back to my community. With my education, I can gain the knowledge I need to teach people in my community who want to learn how to bake professionally. Not everyone can afford college, so I want to teach people the skills necessary to be a great baker or pastry chef. I would do this by either providing classes, whether in person or online, and teaching people the basic skills of baking. I would also offer different lessons with varying levels of difficulty for people who may want to learn more than just the basics of baking and pastry. The other route I would consider would be returning to pastry school and becoming a teacher there. I have learned and continue to learn from the great pastry chefs at my school, and I would love to be a part of another young pastry chef's journey to becoming a great pastry chef. I would also like to positively impact my community by opening multiple bakeries and providing job opportunities in this industry. Overall, creating an opportunity to help others thrive in their passion would make me feel like I have made an impact, even if it were only to be one person. This scholarship would help me to able to not only finish my schooling and helping me achieve my dreams but also allow me to help achieve the dreams of others.

Since I was a young girl, I have loved baking. Around the age of ten, I had an Easy-Bake oven, and I would make mini cakes and cookies. I would always be in the kitchen making some dessert. When I was around fourteen, I baked my first cake. Over time, I continued to bake a variety of cakes, cookies, brownies, and other treats. This love for baking eventually grew into something more than just a hobby. I knew that I wanted to do this professionally. I mainly got into baking by watching YouTube videos. I watched Rosanna Pansino and Yolanda Gampp, who are successful female bakers. I watched them for multiple years. I would watch their videos on how to decorate a cake and learn different tips and tricks, and I applied those skills to my baking. About two years ago, I started my own business. Most of my customers are my family and friends, but my business has branched out to people outside of family and friends. I have baked for people who also work in the food industry, and I have made desserts for my peers at school, too. I am a Baking & Pastry and Food & Beverage Entrepreneurship major at Johnson & Wales University. My classes in baking & pastry arts and food & beverage entrepreneurship will help me gain the skills necessary for the baking side of the business. The entrepreneurship classes will help me learn more about the business side of running a business. After finishing school, I want to either own a bakery or become a private pastry chef. While achieving my goals, I also want to help others pursue theirs. In the future, I have plans to give back to my community. With my education, I can gain the knowledge I need to teach people in my community who want to learn how to bake professionally. Not everyone can afford college, so I want to teach people the skills necessary to be a great baker or pastry chef. I would do this by either providing classes, whether in person or online, and teaching people the basic skills of baking. I would also offer different lessons with varying levels of difficulty for people who may want to learn more than just the basics of baking and pastry. The other route I would consider would be returning to pastry school and becoming a teacher there. I have learned and continue to learn from the great pastry chefs at my school, and I would love to be a part of another young pastry chef's journey to becoming a great pastry chef. I would also like to positively impact my community by opening multiple bakeries and providing job opportunities in this industry. Overall, creating an opportunity to help others thrive in their passion would make me feel like I have made an impact, even if it were only to be one person.

I deserve this scholarship because I am a hard-working, determined, creative, and a leader who does not like to give up on her goals or shy away from problems and obstacles when they arise. Since I was a young girl, I have loved baking. Around the age of ten, I had an Easy-Bake oven, and I would make mini cakes and cookies. I would always be in the kitchen making some sort of dessert. When I was around fourteen, I baked my first cake. It didn't look the best, but I was still proud of myself for getting it to stand up! Over time, I continued to bake a variety of cakes, cookies, brownies, and other treats. This love for baking eventually grew into something more than just a hobby. I knew that I wanted to do this professionally. I mainly got into baking by watching YouTube videos. I watched Rosanna Pansino and Yolanda Gampp, who are successful female bakers. I watched them for multiple years. I would watch their videos on how to decorate a cake and learn different tips and tricks, and I applied those skills to my baking. About two years ago, I started my own business. Most of my customers are my family and friends, but my business has branched out to people outside of my family and friends. I have baked for people who also work in the food industry, and I have made desserts for my peers at school, too. I have worked at a place in this field, and while it is what I would want to do, I missed the freedom that I get from running my own business. While working for myself, I have learned many values that other people may have learned later on in their lives, and I do want to continue my education in my industry to perfect my craft. I am a Baking & Pastry and Food & Beverage Entrepreneurship major at Johnson & Wales University. My classes in baking & pastry arts and food & beverage entrepreneurship will help me to gain the skills necessary for the baking side, while the entrepreneurship classes will help me to learn more about the business side of running a business. After finishing school, I want to either own a bakery or become a private pastry chef. While wanting to achieve my goals, I also want to help others be able to pursue theirs. In the future, I have plans to give back to my community. With my education, I can gain the knowledge I need to teach people in my community who want to learn how to bake professionally. Not everyone can afford college, so I want to teach people the skills needed to become a great baker and pastry chef. I would do this by either providing classes, whether in person or online, and teaching people the basic skills of baking. I would also offer different lessons with varying levels of difficulty for people who may want to learn more than just the basics of baking and pastry. The other route I would consider would be returning to pastry school and becoming a teacher there. I have learned and continue to learn from the great pastry chefs at my school, and I would love to be a part of another young pastry chef's journey to becoming a great pastry chef. I would also like to positively impact my community by opening multiple bakeries and providing job opportunities in this industry. Overall, creating an opportunity to help others thrive in their passion would make me feel like I have made an impact, even if it were only to be one person.

I have served my community at the Church Written Epistle Church of Jesus Christ. One way that I have helped my community is by helping organize the church. I have also volunteered as a helper for Vacation Bible School for the past 4 to 5 years. I helped the young children in my church learn more about the bible and the stories in it. During that time, we made the learning process fun and easy for the kids to understand. I have also done free babysitting to help relieve the stress of some of my friends and family. During my 10th-grade year, our school had 2 weeks to focus on community service in Charlotte. In this period, we organized clothes and bath products at shelters at a sanctuary to help people get their lives back on track, like Angels & Sparrows. We also helped clean up the neighborhood around my school, and one woman came out of her home and told us how she really appreciated that we were cleaning the community because no one else would take the initiative. It made a huge impact since the neighborhoods around our school are in the lower class. In the future, I have plans to give back to my community. With my education, I can gain the knowledge I need to teach people in my community who want to learn how to bake professionally. Not everyone can afford college, so I want to teach people the skills needed to become a great baker and pastry chef. I would do this by either providing classes, whether in person or online, and teaching people the basic skills of baking. I would also provide different lessons with varying levels of difficulty for people who may want to learn more than just the basics of baking and pastry. The other route I would go would be going back to pastry school and becoming a teacher there. I have learned and continue to learn from the great pastry chefs at my school, and I would love to be a part of another young pastry chef's journey to becoming a great pastry chef. I would also want to positively impact my community by opening multiple bakeries and providing jobs in this industry. While there are a good number of jobs in this industry, a lot of them would require you to attend higher education for the business to consider people working in their position. I would want to provide jobs for the people who couldn't afford higher education and help them learn from the ground up. Before going into higher education, I started baking from a young age and learned and experimented with different pastries and desserts without any help. I want to help people who are in a similar position as younger me, and help take that spark that they already have and make that skill flourish. Overall, creating an opportunity to help others thrive in their passion would make me feel like I have made an impact, even if it were to only be one person. This scholarship will help me by being able to continue to pay for my tuition. It will help me to achieve my dreams and goals, not only for myself but also to help others.

I am a Baking & Pastry and Food & Beverage Entrepreneurship major at Johnson & Wales University. Since I was a young girl, I have loved baking. Around the age of ten, I had an Easy-Bake oven, and I would make mini cakes and cookies. I would always be in the kitchen making some dessert. Over time, I kept baking various cakes, cookies, brownies, and more. This love for baking eventually grew into something more than just a hobby. I knew that I wanted to do this professionally. I am grateful for the opportunity to be able to go to college to get a higher education, to pursue my future goals and dreams. Receiving my bachelor's degree in baking & pastry arts and food & beverage entrepreneurship would help me achieve my future goals of owning my own business, whether a bakery or a personal pastry chef. While wanting to achieve my goals, I also want to help others be able to pursue theirs. In the future, I have plans to give back to my community. With my education, I can gain the knowledge I need to teach people in my community who want to learn how to bake professionally. Not everyone can afford college, so I want to teach people the skills needed to become a great baker and pastry chef. I would do this by either providing classes, whether in person or online, and teaching people the basic skills of baking. I would also provide different lessons with varying levels of difficulty for people who may want to learn more than just the basics of baking and pastry. The other route I would go would be going back to pastry school and becoming a teacher there. I have learned and continue to learn from the great pastry chefs at my school, and I would love to be a part of another young pastry chef's journey to becoming a great pastry chef. I would also want to positively impact my community by opening multiple bakeries and providing jobs in this industry. While there are a good number of jobs in this industry, a lot of them would require you to attend higher education for the business to consider people working in their position. I would want to provide jobs for the people who couldn't afford higher education and help them learn from the ground up. Before going into higher education, I started baking from a young age and learned and experimented with different pastries and desserts without any help. I want to help people who are in a similar position as younger me, and help take that spark that they already have and make that skill flourish. Overall, creating an opportunity to help others thrive in their passion would make me feel like I have made an impact, even if it were to only be one person. This scholarship will help me by being able to continue to pay for my tuition. It will help me to achieve my dreams and goals, not only for myself but also to help others.

I am a Baking & Pastry and Food & Beverage Entrepreneurship major at Johnson & Wales University. Since I was a young girl, I have loved baking. Around the age of ten, I had an Easy-Bake oven, and I would make mini cakes and cookies. I would always be in the kitchen making some dessert. Over time, I kept baking various cakes, cookies, brownies, and more. This love for baking eventually grew into something more than just a hobby. I knew that I wanted to do this professionally. I am grateful for the opportunity to be able to go to college to get a higher education, to pursue my future goals and dreams. Receiving my bachelor's degree in baking & pastry arts and food & beverage entrepreneurship would help me achieve my future goals of owning my own business, whether a bakery or a personal pastry chef. While wanting to achieve my goals, I also want to help others be able to pursue theirs. In the future, I have plans to give back to my community. With my education, I can gain the knowledge I need to teach people in my community who want to learn how to bake professionally. Not everyone can afford college, so I want to teach people the skills needed to become a great baker and pastry chef. I would do this by either providing classes, whether in person or online, and teaching people the basic skills of baking. I would also provide different lessons with varying levels of difficulty for people who may want to learn more than just the basics of baking and pastry. The other route I would go would be going back to pastry school and becoming a teacher there. I have learned and continue to learn from the great pastry chefs at my school, and I would love to be a part of another young pastry chef's journey to becoming a great pastry chef. I would also want to positively impact my community by opening multiple bakeries and providing jobs in this industry. While there are a good number of jobs in this industry, a lot of them would require you to attend higher education for the business to consider people working in their position. I would want to provide jobs for the people who couldn't afford higher education and help them learn from the ground up. Before going into higher education, I started baking from a young age and learned and experimented with different pastries and desserts without any help. I want to help people who are in a similar position as younger me, and help take that spark that they already have and make that skill flourish. Overall, creating an opportunity to help others thrive in their passion would make me feel like I have made an impact, even if it were to only be one person. This scholarship will help me by being able to continue to pay for my tuition. It will help me to achieve my dreams and goals, not only for myself but also to help others.

My name is Jordan Howard. I was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. I am a Nigerian African American. I am twenty years old, and I am a junior at Johnson & Wales University. I have served my community at the Written Epistle Church of Jesus Christ. One way that I have helped my community is by helping organize the church. I also volunteer as a helper for Vacation Bible School. I helped the young children in my church learn more about the bible and the stories in it. During that time, we made the learning process fun and easy for the kids to understand. I have also done free babysitting to help relieve the stress of some of my friends and family. During my 10th-grade year, our school had 2 weeks to focus on community service in Charlotte. In this period, we organized clothes and bath products at shelters at a sanctuary to help people get their lives back on track. We also helped clean up the neighborhood around my school, and one woman came out of her home and told us how she appreciated that we were cleaning the community because no one else would take the initiative. It made a huge impact since the neighborhoods around our school are in the lower class. During and after college, I will continue to volunteer at my church's Vacation Bible School to help the youth learn more about God. After college, I hope to use the knowledge I gain to teach people in my community who want to learn how to bake on a professional level. Not everyone can afford to go to college, so I would want to teach people the different skills needed to become a great baker. I would also want to make a positive impact on my community by opening multiple bakeries and providing jobs in this industry.

My name is Jordan Howard. I was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. Since I was a young girl, I have loved baking. Around the age of ten, I had an Easy-Bake oven, and I would make mini cakes and cookies. I would always be in the kitchen making some dessert. When I was around fourteen, I baked my first cake. It did not look the best, but I was still proud of myself that it was even standing up! Over time, I kept baking various cakes, cookies, brownies, and more. This love for baking eventually grew into something more than just a hobby. I knew that I wanted to do this professionally. The way I mainly got into baking was from watching YouTube videos. I watched Rosanna Pansino and Yolanda Gampp, who are successful female bakers. I watched them for multiple years. I would watch their videos on how to decorate a cake and learn different tips and tricks, and I applied those skills to my baking. About two years ago, I started my own business. Most of my customers are my family and friends, but my business has branched out to people outside my family and friends. I have also baked for people who work in the food industry and made desserts for my peers at school, too. One of my future goals is owning my own business, whether that is a bakery or a personal pastry chef. Receiving this scholarship would help me be able to continue my education and get me one step closer to being able to fulfill my goals. Receiving this scholarship would also help me to take some weight off my parents' shoulders while they are paying for my education. While wanting to achieve my goals, I also want to help others be able to pursue theirs. In the future, I have plans to give back to my community. With my education, I can gain the knowledge I need to teach people in my community who want to learn how to bake professionally. Not everyone can afford college, so I want to teach people the skills needed to become a great baker and pastry chef. I would do this by either providing classes, whether in person or online, and teaching people the basic skills of baking. I would also provide different lessons with varying levels of difficulty for people who may want to learn more than just the basics of baking and pastry. The other route I would go would be going back to pastry school and becoming a teacher there. I have learned and continue to learn from the great pastry chefs at my school, and I would love to be a part of another young pastry chef's journey to becoming a great pastry chef. I would also want to positively impact my community by opening multiple bakeries and providing my community with jobs in this industry. While there are a good number of jobs in this industry, a lot of them would require you to attend higher education for the business to consider people working in their establishment. I would want to provide jobs for the people who couldn't afford higher education and help them learn from the ground up. Before going into higher education, I started baking from a young age and learned and experimented with different pastries and desserts without any help. I want to help people who are in a similar position as younger me, and help take that spark that they already have and make that skill flourish.

My name is Jordan Howard. I was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. Since I was a young girl, I have loved baking. Around the age of ten, I had an Easy-Bake oven, and I would make mini cakes and cookies. I would always be in the kitchen making some dessert. When I was around fourteen, I baked my first cake. It did not look the best, but I was still proud of myself that it was even standing up! Over time, I kept baking various cakes, cookies, brownies, and more. This love for baking eventually grew into something more than just a hobby. I knew that I wanted to do this professionally. The way I mainly got into baking was from watching YouTube videos. I watched Rosanna Pansino and Yolanda Gampp, who are successful female bakers. I watched them for multiple years. I would watch their videos on how to decorate a cake and learn different tips and tricks, and I applied those skills to my baking. About two years ago, I started my own business. Most of my customers are my family and friends, but my business has branched out to people outside my family and friends. I have also baked for people who work in the food industry and made desserts for my peers at school, too. One of my future goals is owning my own business, whether that is a bakery or a personal pastry chef. While wanting to achieve my goals, I also want to help others be able to pursue theirs. In the future, I have plans to give back to my community. With my education, I can gain the knowledge I need to teach people in my community who want to learn how to bake professionally. Not everyone can afford college, so I want to teach people the skills needed to become a great baker and pastry chef. I would do this by either providing classes, whether in person or online, and teaching people the basic skills of baking. I would also provide different lessons with varying levels of difficulty for people who may want to learn more than just the basics of baking and pastry. The other route I would go would be going back to pastry school and becoming a teacher there. I have learned and continue to learn from the great pastry chefs at my school, and I would love to be a part of another young pastry chef's journey to becoming a great pastry chef. I would also want to positively impact my community by opening multiple bakeries and providing my community with jobs in this industry. While there are a good number of jobs in this industry, a lot of them would require you to attend higher education in order for the business to consider people working in their establishment. I would want to provide jobs for the people who couldn't afford higher education and help them learn from the ground up. Before going into higher education, I started baking from a young age and learned and experimented with different pastries and desserts without any help. I want to help people who are in a similar position as younger me, and help take that spark that they already have and make that skill flourish. Overall, creating an opportunity to help others thrive in their passion would make me feel like I have made an impact, even if it were to only be one person. One person can make a difference for the next one.

Since I was a young girl, I have loved baking. Around the age of ten, I had an Easy-Bake oven, and I would make mini cakes and cookies. I would always be in the kitchen making some sort of dessert. When I was around fourteen, I baked my first cake. It didn't look the best, but I was still proud of myself for getting it to stand up! Over time, I continued to bake a variety of cakes, cookies, brownies, and other treats. This love for baking eventually grew into something more than just a hobby. I knew that I wanted to do this professionally. I mainly got into baking by watching YouTube videos. I watched Rosanna Pansino and Yolanda Gampp, who are successful female bakers. I watched them for multiple years. I would watch their videos on how to decorate a cake and learn different tips and tricks, and I applied those skills to my baking. My favorite thing to bake is cookies because they are quick to make and they are a delicious treat. About two years ago, I started my own business. Most of my customers are my family and friends, but my business has branched out to people outside of my family and friends. I have baked for people who also work in the food industry, and I have made desserts for my peers at school, too. I have worked at a place in this field, and while it is what I would want to do, I missed the freedom that I get from running my own business. While working for myself, I have learned many values that other people may have learned later on in their lives, and I do want to continue my education in my industry to perfect my craft. I am a Baking & Pastry and Food & Beverage Entrepreneurship major at Johnson & Wales University. My classes in baking & pastry arts and food & beverage entrepreneurship will help me to gain the skills necessary for the baking side, while the entrepreneurship classes will help me to learn more about the business side of running a business. After finishing school, I want to either own a bakery or become a private pastry chef. While wanting to achieve my goals, I also want to help others be able to pursue theirs. In the future, I have plans to give back to my community. With my education, I can gain the knowledge I need to teach people in my community who want to learn how to bake professionally. Not everyone can afford college, so I want to teach people the skills needed to become a great baker and pastry chef. I would do this by either providing classes, whether in person or online, and teaching people the basic skills of baking. I would also offer different lessons with varying levels of difficulty for people who may want to learn more than just the basics of baking and pastry. The other route I would consider would be returning to pastry school and becoming a teacher there. I have learned and continue to learn from the great pastry chefs at my school, and I would love to be a part of another young pastry chef's journey to becoming a great pastry chef. I would also like to positively impact my community by opening multiple bakeries and providing my community with job opportunities in this industry. Overall, creating an opportunity to help others thrive in their passion would make me feel like I have made an impact, even if it were only to be one person.

Since I was a young girl, I have loved baking. Around the age of ten, I had an Easy-Bake oven, and I would make mini cakes and cookies. I would always be in the kitchen making some sort of dessert. When I was around fourteen, I baked my first cake. It didn't look the best, but I was still proud of myself for getting it to stand up! Over time, I continued to bake a variety of cakes, cookies, brownies, and other treats. This love for baking eventually grew into something more than just a hobby. I knew that I wanted to do this professionally. I mainly got into baking by watching YouTube videos. I watched Rosanna Pansino and Yolanda Gampp, who are successful female bakers. I would watch their videos on how to decorate a cake and learn different tips and tricks, and I applied those skills to my baking. My dad also influenced me because he is also in the food industry. I got some of my baking influence from him because of how much he cooked in the kitchen. Even though my dad loves to cook more than bake, it's the feeling you get from making delicious food and having your loved ones enjoy that meal. That feeling that my dad had also inspired me to get in the kitchen, even though I have more of a sweet tooth. About two years ago, I started my own business. Most of my customers are family and friends, but my business has branched out to people outside of my family and friends. I have baked for people who also work in the food industry, and I have made desserts for my peers at school, too. I have worked at a place in this field, and while it is what I would want to do, I missed the freedom that I get from running my own business. While working for myself, I have learned many values that other people may have learned later on in their lives, and I do want to continue my education in my industry to perfect my craft. I am a Baking & Pastry and Food & Beverage Entrepreneurship major at Johnson & Wales University. My classes in Baking & Pastry Arts and Food & Beverage Entrepreneurship will help me to gain the skills necessary for the baking side, while the entrepreneurship classes will help me to learn more about the business side of running a business. After finishing school, I want to either own a bakery or become a private pastry chef. While wanting to achieve my goals, I also want to help others pursue theirs. In the future, I have plans to give back to my community. With my education, I can gain the knowledge I need to teach people in my community who want to learn how to bake professionally. Not everyone can afford college, so I want to teach people the skills needed to become a great baker and pastry chef. I would do this by either providing classes, whether in person or online, and teaching people the basic skills of baking. I would also offer different lessons with varying levels of difficulty for people who may want to learn more than just the basics of baking and pastry. I would also like to positively impact my community by opening multiple bakeries and providing my community with job opportunities in this industry. Overall, creating an opportunity to help others thrive in their passion would make me feel like I have made an impact, even if it were only to be one person.

Since I was a young girl, I have loved baking. Around the age of ten, I had an Easy-Bake oven, and I would make mini cakes and cookies. I would always be in the kitchen making some sort of dessert. When I was around fourteen, I baked my first cake. It didn't look the best, but I was still proud of myself for getting it to stand up! Over time, I continued to bake a variety of cakes, cookies, brownies, and other treats. This love for baking eventually grew into something more than just a hobby. I knew that I wanted to do this professionally. I mainly got into baking by watching YouTube videos. I watched Rosanna Pansino and Yolanda Gampp, who are successful female bakers. I watched them for multiple years. I would watch their videos on how to decorate a cake and learn different tips and tricks, and I applied those skills to my baking. About two years ago, I started my own business. Most of my customers are my family and friends, but my business has branched out to people outside of my family and friends. I have baked for people who also work in the food industry, and I have made desserts for my peers at school, too. I have worked at a place in this field, and while it is what I would want to do, I missed the freedom that I get from running my own business. While working for myself, I have learned many values that other people may have learned later on in their lives, and I do want to continue my education in my industry to perfect my craft. I am a Baking & Pastry and Food & Beverage Entrepreneurship major at Johnson & Wales University. My classes in baking & pastry arts and food & beverage entrepreneurship will help me to gain the skills necessary for the baking side, while the entrepreneurship classes will help me to learn more about the business side of running a business. After finishing school, I want to either own a bakery or become a private pastry chef. While wanting to achieve my goals, I also want to help others be able to pursue theirs. In the future, I have plans to give back to my community. With my education, I can gain the knowledge I need to teach people in my community who want to learn how to bake professionally. Not everyone can afford college, so I want to teach people the skills needed to become a great baker and pastry chef. I would do this by either providing classes, whether in person or online, and teaching people the basic skills of baking. I would also offer different lessons with varying levels of difficulty for people who may want to learn more than just the basics of baking and pastry. The other route I would consider would be returning to pastry school and becoming a teacher there. I have learned and continue to learn from the great pastry chefs at my school, and I would love to be a part of another young pastry chef's journey to becoming a great pastry chef. I would also like to positively impact my community by opening multiple bakeries and providing my community with job opportunities in this industry. Overall, creating an opportunity to help others thrive in their passion would make me feel like I have made an impact, even if it were only to be one person.

I have served my community at the Church Written Epistle Church of Jesus Christ. One way that I have helped my community is by helping organize the church. I have also volunteered as a helper for Vacation Bible School for the past 4 to 5 years. I helped the young children in my church learn more about the bible and the stories in it. During that time, we made the learning process fun and easy for the kids to understand. I have also done free babysitting to help relieve the stress of some of my friends and family. During my 10th-grade year, our school had 2 weeks to focus on community service in Charlotte. In this period, we organized clothes and bath products at shelters at a sanctuary to help people get their lives back on track, like Angels & Sparrows. We also helped clean up the neighborhood around my school, and one woman came out of her home and told us how she really appreciated that we were cleaning the community because no one else would take the initiative. It made a huge impact since the neighborhoods around our school are in the lower class. In the future, I have plans to give back to my community. With my education, I can gain the knowledge I need to teach people in my community who want to learn how to bake professionally. Not everyone can afford college, so I want to teach people the skills needed to become a great baker and pastry chef. I would do this by either providing classes, whether in person or online, and teaching people the basic skills of baking. I would also provide different lessons with varying levels of difficulty for people who may want to learn more than just the basics of baking and pastry. The other route I would go would be going back to pastry school and becoming a teacher there. I have learned and continue to learn from the great pastry chefs at my school, and I would love to be a part of another young pastry chef's journey to becoming a great pastry chef. I would also want to positively impact my community by opening multiple bakeries and providing my community with jobs in this industry. While there are a good number of jobs in this industry, a lot of them would require you to attend higher education for the business to consider people working in their position. I would want to provide jobs for the people who couldn't afford higher education and help them learn from the ground up. Before going into higher education, I started baking from a young age and learned and experimented with different pastries and desserts without any help. I want to help people who are in a similar position as younger me, and help take that spark that they already have and make that skill flourish. Overall, creating an opportunity to help others thrive in their passion would make me feel like I have made an impact, even if it were to only be one person. This scholarship will help me by being able to continue to pay for my tuition. It will help me to achieve my dreams and goals, not only for myself but also to help others.

I am a Baking & Pastry and Food & Beverage Entrepreneurship major at Johnson & Wales University. Since I was a young girl, I have loved baking. Around the age of ten, I had an Easy-Bake oven, and I would make mini cakes and cookies. I would always be in the kitchen making some dessert. Over time, I kept baking various cakes, cookies, brownies, and more. This love for baking eventually grew into something more than just a hobby. I knew that I wanted to do this professionally. I am grateful for the opportunity to be able to go to college to get a higher education, to pursue my future goals and dreams. Receiving my bachelor's degree in baking & pastry arts and food & beverage entrepreneurship would help me achieve my future goals of owning my own business, whether a bakery or a personal pastry chef. While wanting to achieve my goals, I also want to help others be able to pursue theirs. In the future, I have plans to give back to my community. With my education, I can gain the knowledge I need to teach people in my community who want to learn how to bake professionally. Not everyone can afford college, so I want to teach people the skills needed to become a great baker and pastry chef. I would do this by either providing classes, whether in person or online, and teaching people the basic skills of baking. I would also provide different lessons with varying levels of difficulty for people who may want to learn more than just the basics of baking and pastry. The other route I would go would be going back to pastry school and becoming a teacher there. I have learned and continue to learn from the great pastry chefs at my school, and I would love to be a part of another young pastry chef's journey to becoming a great pastry chef. I would also want to positively impact my community by opening multiple bakeries and providing my community with jobs in this industry. While there are a good number of jobs in this industry, a lot of them would require you to attend a higher education for the business to consider people working in their position. I would want to provide jobs for the people who couldn't afford higher education and help them learn from the ground up. Before going into higher education, I started baking from a young age and learned and experimented with different pastries and desserts without any help. I want to help people who are in a similar position as younger me, and help take that spark that they already have and make that skill flourish. Overall, creating an opportunity to help others thrive in their passion would make me feel like I have made an impact, even if it were to only be one person. This scholarship will help me by being able to continue to pay for my tuition. It will help me to achieve my dreams and goals, not only for myself but also to help others.

I am a Baking & Pastry and Food & Beverage Entrepreneurship major at Johnson & Wales University. Since I was a young girl, I have loved baking. Around the age of ten, I had an Easy-Bake oven, and I would make mini cakes and cookies. I would always be in the kitchen making some dessert. Over time, I kept baking various cakes, cookies, brownies, and more. This love for baking eventually grew into something more than just a hobby. I knew that I wanted to do this professionally. I am grateful for the opportunity to be able to go to college to get a higher education, to pursue my future goals and dreams. Receiving my bachelor's degree in baking & pastry arts and food & beverage entrepreneurship would help me achieve my future goals of owning my own business, whether a bakery or a personal pastry chef. While wanting to achieve my goals, I also want to help others be able to pursue theirs. In the future, I have plans to give back to my community. With my education, I can gain the knowledge I need to teach people in my community who want to learn how to bake professionally. Not everyone can afford college, so I want to teach people the skills needed to become a great baker and pastry chef. I would do this by either providing classes, whether in person or online, and teaching people the basic skills of baking. I would also provide different lessons with varying levels of difficulty for people who may want to learn more than just the basics of baking and pastry. The other route I would go would be going back to pastry school and becoming a teacher there. I have learned and continue to learn from the great pastry chefs at my school, and I would love to be a part of another young pastry chef's journey to becoming a great pastry chef. I would also want to positively impact my community by opening multiple bakeries and providing my community with jobs in this industry. While there are a good number of jobs in this industry, a lot of them would require you to attend a higher education for the business to consider people working in their position. I would want to provide jobs for the people who couldn't afford higher education and help them learn from the ground up. Before going into higher education, I started baking from a young age and learned and experimented with different pastries and desserts without any help. I want to help people who are in a similar position as younger me, and help take that spark that they already have and make that skill flourish. Overall, creating an opportunity to help others thrive in their passion would make me feel like I have made an impact, even if it were to only be one person.

I am grateful for the opportunity to be able to go to college to get a higher education, to pursue my future goals and dreams. Receiving my bachelor's degree in baking & pastry arts and food & beverage entrepreneurship would help me achieve my future goals of owning my own business, whether a bakery or a personal pastry chef. While wanting to achieve my goals, I also want to help others be able to pursue theirs. In the future, I have plans to give back to my community. With my education, I can gain the knowledge I need to teach people in my community who want to learn how to bake professionally. Not everyone can afford college, so I want to teach people the skills needed to become a great baker and pastry chef. I would do this by either providing classes, whether in person or online, and teaching people the basic skills of baking. I would also provide different lessons with varying levels of difficulty for people who may want to learn more than just the basics of baking and pastry. The other route I would go would be going back to pastry school and becoming a teacher there. I have learned and continue to learn from the great pastry chefs at my school, and I would love to be a part of another young pastry chef's journey to becoming a great pastry chef. I would also want to positively impact my community by opening multiple bakeries and providing my community with jobs in this industry. While there are a good number of jobs in this industry, a lot of them would require you to attend a higher education for the business to consider people working in their position. I would want to provide jobs for the people who couldn't afford higher education and help them learn from the ground up. Before going into higher education, I started baking from a young age and learned and experimented with different pastries and desserts without any help. I want to help people who are in a similar position as younger me, and help take that spark that they already have and make that skill flourish. Overall, creating an opportunity to help others thrive in their passion would make me feel like I have made an impact, even if it were to only be one person. This scholarship will help me by being able to continue to pay for my tuition. It will help me to achieve my dreams and goals, not only for myself but also to help others.

I was sitting on the ground with my hands over my eyes. Crying and thinking I was not good enough or smart enough. Contemplating that if I did not score well, I would be a disappointment. My mom was there, trying to comfort me, but I tuned her out. I did not want to hear other thoughts or opinions except my own. That night, I lay in bed, berating myself about how I should be better and how I might disappoint my dad with my poor grade. I got up the next day and went to school like nothing had happened. All I wanted was to do better on the next American History test. What was wrong with this was that I got it into my head. I would second-guess myself and sike myself out, which would cause me to get the answer wrong. Having this repeated throughout months of my life was damaging to my mental health. It got so bad that I would cry myself to sleep every night. I reviled myself for not having the best grades I could get. Since I was a little girl, I have always been insistent on getting good grades and submitting my work before it was due. I have always been the type of person who gets an A in every class. My standards for myself have been high from the beginning, which my dad has instilled in me, but having this quality was not always the best. Having an A in school made me happy, but whenever I got the occasional B or C, I would shut down and get upset. Having this happen would have me break down so much that my mind would become melancholy. One evening, I talked with my dad and told him about how the high expectations made me feel as if I got anything less than a B, I was not good enough, and it would upset him. He told me that he never meant to hurt me and that pushing me to be my best was all out of love. From that day, I slowly realized that it's all right to try my hardest in everything, but my hardest may not be enough, and that is okay because I am only human. From this experience, I learned that it is great to give my all, but it is also all right when I fail sometimes. The way I would use what I have learned in college would be that I will always give a hundred percent when completing my assignments. I will always strive to do my best and achieve the highest grade I can, but I also understand that I will inevitably make mistakes in life. However, if I don’t get into a specific sport, club, or position it wasn’t meant to be, I will move on. I will always bounce back from difficulty and obstruction. Although I will make some mistakes, I will always strive for greatness because if it can be acquired, good is no longer an option. Within the last four years, I worked with children by volunteering at my church during Vacation Bible School. I helped the children learn more about God through fun activities. I have also babysat children throughout my life. Lastly, I have helped clean and organize at Angels & Sparrows in 10th grade in high school. Through all of my struggles, I have now graduated high school with honors, with a 4.35 GPA, and I am on the dean's list in college with a 4.0 GPA.

My name is Jordan Howard. I was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. Since I was a young girl, I have loved baking. Around the age of ten, I had an Easy-Bake oven, and I would make mini cakes and cookies. I would always be in the kitchen making some dessert. Over time, I kept baking various cakes, cookies, brownies, and more. This love for baking eventually grew into something more than just a hobby. I knew that I wanted to do this professionally. I mainly got into baking by watching YouTube videos. I watched Rosanna Pansino and Yolanda Gampp, who are successful female bakers. I watched them for multiple years. I would watch their videos on cake decor, learn different tips and tricks, and apply those skills to my baking. My dad also influenced me. My dad is also in the food industry. I got some of my baking influence from him because of how much he cooked in the kitchen. Even though my dad loves to cook more than bake, it's the feeling you get from making delicious food and having your loved ones enjoy that meal. That feeling that my dad had also inspired me to get in the kitchen, even though I have more of a sweet tooth. About two years ago, I started my own business. Most of my customers are my family and friends, but my business has branched out to people outside of my family and friends. I have baked for people who also work in the food industry, and I have made desserts for my peers at school. While wanting to achieve my goals, I also want to help others be able to pursue theirs. In the future, I have plans to give back to my community. With my education, I can gain the knowledge I need to teach people in my community who want to learn how to bake professionally. Not everyone can afford college, so I want to teach people the skills needed to become a great baker and pastry chef. I would do this by either providing classes, whether in person or online, and teaching people the basic skills of baking. I would also provide different lessons with varying levels of difficulty for people who may want to learn more than just the basics of baking and pastry. The other route I would go would be going back to pastry school and becoming a teacher there. I have learned and continue to learn from the great pastry chefs at my school, and I would love to be a part of another young pastry chef's journey to becoming a great pastry chef. I would also want to positively impact my community by opening multiple bakeries and providing my community with jobs in this industry. While there are a good number of jobs in this industry, a lot of them would require you to attend a higher education for the business to consider people working in their position. I would want to provide jobs for the people who couldn't afford higher education and help them learn from the ground up. Before going into higher education, I started baking from a young age and learned and experimented with different pastries and desserts without any help. I want to help people who are in a similar position as younger me, and help take that spark that they already have and make that skill flourish. Overall, creating an opportunity to help others thrive in their passion would make me feel like I have made an impact, even if it were to only be one person.

I am grateful for the opportunity to be able to go to college to get a higher education, to pursue my future goals and dreams. Receiving my bachelor's degree in baking & pastry arts and food & beverage entrepreneurship would help me achieve my future goals of owning my own business, whether a bakery or a personal pastry chef. While wanting to achieve my goals, I also want to help others be able to pursue theirs. In the future, I have plans to give back to my community. With my education, I can gain the knowledge I need to teach people in my community who want to learn how to bake professionally. Not everyone can afford college, so I want to teach people the skills needed to become a great baker and pastry chef. I would do this by either providing classes, whether in person or online, and teaching people the basic skills of baking. I would also provide different lessons with varying levels of difficulty for people who may want to learn more than just the basics of baking and pastry. The other route I would go would be going back to pastry school and becoming a teacher there. I have learned and continue to learn from the great pastry chefs at my school, and I would love to be a part of another young pastry chef's journey to becoming a great pastry chef. I would also want to positively impact my community by opening multiple bakeries and providing my community with jobs in this industry. While there are a good number of jobs in this industry, a lot of them would require you to attend a higher education for the business to consider people working in their position. I would want to provide jobs for the people who couldn't afford higher education and help them learn from the ground up. Before going into higher education, I started baking from a young age and learned and experimented with different pastries and desserts without any help. I want to help people who are in a similar position as younger me, and help take that spark that they already have and make that skill flourish. Overall, creating an opportunity to help others thrive in their passion would make me feel like I have made an impact, even if it were to only be one person. One person can make a difference for the next one. Within the last four years worked with children by volunteering at my church during Vacation Bible School. I helped the children learn more about God through fun activities. I have also babysat children throughout my life. Lastly, I have helped clean and organize at Angels & Sparrows in 10th grade in high school.

I am grateful for the opportunity to be able to go to college to get a higher education to be able to pursue my future goals and dreams. Receiving my bachelor's degree in baking & pastry arts and food & beverage entrepreneurship would help me to achieve my future goals of owning my own business, whether that is a bakery or a personal pastry chef. While wanting to achieve my goals, I also want to help others be able to pursue theirs. In the future, I have plans to give back to my community. With my education, I can gain the knowledge I need to teach people in my community who want to learn how to bake professionally. Not everyone can afford college, so I want to teach people the skills needed to become a great baker and pastry chef. I would do this by either providing classes, whether in person or online, and teaching people the basic skills of baking. I would also provide different lessons with varying levels of difficulty for people who may want to learn more than just the basics of baking and pastry. The other route I would go would be going back to pastry school and becoming a teacher there. I have learned and continue to learn from the great pastry chefs at my school, and I would love to be a part of another young pastry chef's journey to becoming a great pastry chef. I would also want to positively impact my community by opening multiple bakeries and providing my community with jobs in this industry. While there are a good number of jobs in this industry, a lot of them would require you to attend a higher education in order for the business to consider people working in their establishment. I would want to provide jobs for the people who couldn't afford higher education and help them learn from the ground up. Before going into higher education, I started baking from a young age and learned and experimented with different pastries and desserts without any help. I want to help people who are in a similar position as younger me, and help take that spark that they already have and make that skill flourish. Overall, creating an opportunity to help others thrive in their passion would make me feel like I have made an impact, even if it were to only be one person. One person can make a difference for the next one.

Since I was a young girl, I have loved baking. Around the age of ten, I had an Easy-Bake oven, and I would make mini cakes and cookies. I would always be in the kitchen making some dessert. When I was around fourteen, I baked my first cake. It did not look the best, but I was still proud of myself that it was even standing up. Over time, I kept baking various cakes, cookies, brownies, and more. This love for baking eventually grew into something more than just a hobby. I knew that I wanted to do this professionally. I mainly got into baking by watching YouTube videos. I watched Rosanna Pansino and Yolanda Gampp, who are successful female bakers. I watched them for multiple years. I would watch their videos on cake decor, learn different tips and tricks, and apply those skills to my baking. My dad also influenced me. My dad is also in the food industry. I got some of my baking influence from him because of how much he cooked in the kitchen. Even though my dad loves to cook more than bake, it's the feeling you get from making delicious food and having your loved ones enjoy that meal. That feeling that my dad had also inspired me to get in the kitchen, even though I have more of a sweet tooth. About two years ago, I started my own business. Right now, I do not have a name because I want my business name to be good enough for it to stick and be memorable. Most of my customers are my family and friends, but my business has branched out to people outside of my family and friends. I have baked for people who also work in the food industry, and I have made desserts for my peers at school. I have interned at a bakery called SmallCakes in Huntersville, NC. Working there helped me learn not only about the baking side of things but also how to run a business and how to have things run smoothly. It helped me work on my organizational skills, problem-solving, and teamwork. While working for myself, I have learned many values that other people may have learned later on in their lives, but while I have learned much, I do want to continue my education in my industry to perfect my craft. In the future, I also have plans to give back to my community. With my education, I can gain the knowledge I need to teach people in my community who want to learn how to bake professionally. Not everyone can afford college, so I want to teach people the skills needed to become a great baker. I want to make a positive impact on my community by opening multiple bakeries and providing my community with jobs in this industry.

My name is Jordan Howard. I was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. I am a Nigerian African American. Since I was a young girl, I have loved baking. Around the age of ten, I had an Easy-Bake oven, and I would make mini cakes and cookies. I would always be in the kitchen making some sort of dessert. When I was around fourteen, I baked my first cake. It did not look the best, but I was still proud of myself that it was even standing up. Over time, I kept baking various cakes, cookies, brownies, and more. This love for baking eventually grew into something more than just a hobby. I knew that I wanted to do this professionally. I mainly got into baking by watching YouTube videos. I watched Rosanna Pansino and Yolanda Gampp, who are successful female bakers. I watched them for multiple years. I would watch their videos on decorating a cake, learn different tips and tricks, and apply those skills to my baking. My Dad also influenced me. My dad is also in the food industry. I got some of my baking influence from him because of how much he cooked in the kitchen. Even though my dad loves to cook more than bake, it's the feeling you get from making delicious food and having your loved ones enjoy that meal. That feeling that my dad had also inspired me to get in the kitchen, even though I have more of a sweet tooth. About two years ago, I started my own business. Right now, I do not have a name because I want my business name to be good enough for it to stick and be memorable. Most of my customers are my family and friends, but my business has branched out to people outside of my family and friends. I have baked for people who also work in the food industry, and I have made desserts for my peers at school. I have interned at a bakery called SmallCakes in Huntersville, NC. Working there helped me learn not only about the baking side of things but also how to run a business and how to have things run smoothly. It helped me work on my organizational skills, problem-solving, and teamwork. While working for myself, I have learned many values that other people may have learned later on in their lives, but while I have learned much, I do want to continue my education in my industry to perfect my craft. In the future, I also have plans to give back to my community. With my education, I can gain the knowledge I need to teach people in my community who want to learn how to bake professionally. Not everyone can afford college, so I want to teach people the skills needed to become a great baker. I want to make a positive impact on my community by opening multiple bakeries and providing my community with jobs in this industry.

My name is Jordan Howard. I was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. I am a Nigerian African American. Since I was a young girl, I have loved baking. Around the age of ten, I had an Easy-Bake oven, and I would make mini cakes and cookies. I would always be in the kitchen making some sort of dessert. When I was around fourteen, I baked my first cake. It did not look the best, but I was still proud of myself that it was even standing up. Over time, I kept baking various cakes, cookies, brownies, and more. This love for baking eventually grew into something more than just a hobby. I knew that I wanted to do this professionally. I mainly got into baking by watching YouTube videos. I watched Rosanna Pansino and Yolanda Gampp, who are successful female bakers. I watched them for multiple years. I would watch their videos on decorating a cake, learn different tips and tricks, and apply those skills to my baking. My Dad also influenced me. My dad is also in the food industry. I got some of my baking influence from him because of how much he cooked in the kitchen. Even though my dad loves to cook more than bake, it's the feeling you get from making delicious food and having your loved ones enjoy that meal. That feeling that my dad had also inspired me to get in the kitchen, even though I have more of a sweet tooth. About two years ago, I started my own business. Right now, I do not have a name because I want my business name to be good enough for it to stick and be memorable. Most of my customers are my family and friends, but my business has branched out to people outside of my family and friends. I have baked for people who also work in the food industry, and I have made desserts for my peers at school. I have interned at a bakery called SmallCakes in Huntersville, NC. Working there helped me learn not only about the baking side of things but also how to run a business and how to have things run smoothly. It helped me work on my organizational skills, problem-solving, and teamwork. While working for myself, I have learned many values that other people may have learned later on in their lives, but while I have learned much, I do want to continue my education in my industry to perfect my craft. In the future, I also have plans to give back to my community. With my education, I can gain the knowledge I need to teach people in my community who want to learn how to bake professionally. Not everyone can afford college, so I want to teach people the skills needed to become a great baker. I want to make a positive impact on my community by opening multiple bakeries and providing my community with jobs in this industry.

Since I was a young girl, I have loved baking. Around the age of ten, I had an Easy-Bake oven, and I would make mini cakes and cookies. I would always be in the kitchen making some sort of dessert. When I was around fourteen, I baked my first cake. It did not look the best, but I was still proud of myself that it was even standing up. Over time, I kept baking various cakes, cookies, brownies, and more. This love for baking eventually grew into something more than just a hobby. I knew that I wanted to do this professionally. I mainly got into baking by watching YouTube videos. I watched Rosanna Pansino and Yolanda Gampp, who are successful female bakers. I watched them for multiple years. I would watch their videos on decorating a cake, learn different tips and tricks, and apply those skills to my baking. My Dad also influenced me. My dad is also in the food industry. I got some of my baking influence from him because of how much he cooked in the kitchen. Even though my dad loves to cook more than bake, it's the feeling you get from making delicious food and having your loved ones enjoy that meal. That feeling that my dad had also inspired me to get in the kitchen, even though I have more of a sweet tooth. About two years ago, I started my own business. Right now, I do not have a name because I want my business name to be good enough for it to stick and be memorable. Most of my customers are my family and friends, but my business has branched out to people outside of my family and friends. I have baked for people who also work in the food industry, and I have made desserts for my peers at school. I have interned at a bakery called SmallCakes in Huntersville, NC. Working there helped me learn not only about the baking side of things but also how to run a business and how to have things run smoothly. It helped me work on my organizational skills, problem-solving, and teamwork. While working for myself, I have learned many values that other people may have learned later on in their lives, but while I have learned much, I do want to continue my education in my industry to perfect my craft. In the future, I also have plans to give back to my community. With my education, I can gain the knowledge I need to teach people in my community who want to learn how to bake professionally. Not everyone can afford college, so I want to teach people the skills needed to become a great baker. I want to make a positive impact on my community by opening multiple bakeries and providing my community with jobs in this industry.

I was sitting on the ground with my hands over my eyes. Crying and thinking I was not good enough or smart enough. Contemplating that if I did not score well, I would be a disappointment. My mom was there, trying to comfort me, but I tuned her out. I did not want to hear other thoughts or opinions except my own. That night, I lay in bed, berating myself about how I should be better and how I might disappoint my Dad with my poor grade. I got up the next day and went to school like nothing had happened. All I wanted was to do better on the next American History test. What was wrong with this was that I got it into my head. I would second-guess myself and sike myself out, which would cause me to get the answer wrong. Having this repeated throughout months of my life was damaging to my mental health. It got so bad that I would cry myself to sleep every night. I reviled myself for not having the best grades I could get. Since I was a little girl, I have always been importunate in getting good grades and submitting my work before it was due. I have always been the type of person who gets an A in every class. My standards for myself have been high from the beginning, which my Dad has instilled in me, but having this quality was not always the best. Having an A in school made me happy, but whenever I got the occasional B or C, I would shut down and get upset. Having this happen would have me break down so much that my mind would become melancholy. One evening, I talked with my Dad and told him about how the high expectations made me feel as if I got anything less than a B, I was not good enough, and it would upset him. He told me that he never meant to hurt me and that pushing me to be my best was all out of love. From that day, I slowly realized that it's all right to try my hardest in everything, but my hardest may not be enough, and that is okay because I am only human. From this experience, I learned that it is great to give my all, but it is also all right when I fail sometimes. The way I would use what I have learned in college would be that I will always give a hundred percent when completing my assignments. I will always try my hardest and do my best to achieve the highest grade I can receive, but I also understand that I will make errors in life. I will put myself out there with clubs, sports, internships, and jobs. However, if I don’t get into a specific sport, club, or position it wasn’t meant to be, I will move on. I will always bounce back from difficulty and obstruction. Although I will make some mistakes, I will always strive for greatness because if it can be acquired, good is no longer an option.

Since I was a young girl, I have loved baking. Around the age of ten, I had an easy bake oven, and I would make mini cakes and cookies. I would always be in the kitchen making some sort of dessert. When I was around fourteen, I baked my first cake. It did not look the best, but I was still proud of myself that it was even standing up! Over time, I kept baking various cakes, cookies, brownies, and more. This love for baking eventually grew into something more than just a hobby. I knew that I wanted to do this professionally. I mainly got into baking by watching YouTube videos. I watched Rosanna Pansino and Yolanda Gampp, who are successful female bakers. I watched them for multiple years. I would watch their videos on how to decorate a cake and learn different tips and tricks and I applied those skills to my baking. My Dad also influenced me. My Dad is also in the food industry. I got some of my baking influence from him because of how much he cooked in the kitchen. Even though my Dad loves to cook more than bake, it's the feeling you get from making delicious food and having your loved ones enjoy that meal. That feeling that my dad had also inspired me to get in the kitchen, even though I have more of a sweet tooth. About two years ago I started my own business. Right now I do not have a name because I want my business name to be good enough for it to stick and be memorable. Most of my customers are my family and friends, but my business has branched out to people outside of my family and friends. I have baked for people who also work in the food industry, and I have made desserts for my peers at school too. I have interned at a bakery called SmallCakes in Huntersville, NC. Working there helped me learn not only about the baking side of things but also how to run a business and how to have things run smoothly. It helped me work on my organizational skills, problem-solving, and teamwork. About two years ago I started my own business. Right now I do not have a name because I want my business name to be good enough for it to stick and be memorable. Most of my customers are my family and friends, but my business has branched out to people outside of my family and friends. I have baked for people who also work in the food industry, and I have made desserts for my peers at school too. I have worked at a place in this field and while it is what I would want to do I missed the freedom that I get from running my own business. While working for myself I have learned many values that other people may have learned later on in their life, but while I have learned much I do want to continue my education for my industry to perfect my craft. In the future, I have plans also to give back to my community. With my education, I can gain the knowledge I need to teach people in my community who want to learn how to bake professionally. Not everyone can afford college, so I want to teach people the skills needed to become a great baker. I want to make a positive impact on my community by opening multiple bakeries and providing my community with jobs in this industry.

I am majoring in Baking and Pastry Arts to get the education I need to fulfill my dream of owning a bakery. Since I was a young girl, I have loved baking. This love for baking eventually grew into something more than just a hobby. I knew that I wanted to do this professionally. Once I complete my associate's degree in Baking and Pastry Arts, I will major in either Entrepreneurship or Business Management to get my bachelor's degree. I want to do this because, on top of the baking side, I will also receive the knowledge I need to run and manage a business. Outside of school, I have been able to bake and enhance my skills. I have been selling my desserts for about 3 years now. Around the age of ten, I had an easy bake oven, and I would make mini cakes and cookies. I would always be in the kitchen making some sort of dessert. When I was around fourteen, I baked my first cake. It did not look the best, but I was still proud of myself that it was even standing up! Most of my customers are my family and friends, but my business has branched out to people outside my family and friends. I have baked for people who also work in the food industry and have made desserts for my peers at school too. Over the years I have had people get interested in what I do and want to buy from me. People think I have a good chance to make it and I agree. I have also interned at a bakery called SmallCakes and they have helped me gain more knowledge about how a business runs and what a production day can look like. The reason why I have planned an entrepreneurial career is because I do not want to have to work for anyone. I don't want to be stuck at a 9 to 5 working for people who control my every move or when I can have a break. In this society, people do not get paid what they should and I want to be able to control my schedule and my pay. With my education, I can gain the knowledge I need to teach people in my community who want to learn how to bake professionally. Not everyone can afford college, so I want to teach people the skills needed to become a great baker. I want to make a positive impact on my community by opening multiple bakeries and providing my community with jobs in this industry. This scholarship can help me pay for school so I can continue to further my education and achieve the goals and dreams that I have. This scholarship can help me so I can help others.

Since I was a young girl, I have loved baking. Around the age of ten, I had an easy bake oven, and I would make mini cakes and cookies. I would always be in the kitchen making some sort of dessert. When I was around fourteen, I baked my first cake. It did not look the best, but I was still proud of myself that it was even standing up! Over time, I kept baking various cakes, cookies, brownies, and more. This love for baking eventually grew into something more than just a hobby. I knew that I wanted to do this professionally. The way I mainly got into baking was from watching YouTube videos. I watched Rosanna Pansino and Yolanda Gampp, who are very successful female bakers. I watched them for multiple years. I would watch their videos on how to decorate a cake and learn different tips and tricks and I applied those skills to my own baking. About two years ago I started my own business. Right now I do not have a name because I want my business name to be good enough for it to stick and be memorable. Most of my customers are my family and friends, but my business has branched out to people outside of my family and friends. I have baked for people who also work in the food industry, and I have made desserts for my peers at school too. I plan on majoring in Baking & Pastry Arts and Business Studies at Johnson and Wales University so I can perfect my craft and further work on my career to help take it to higher levels. My career goals are to open up bakeries and have them in multiple locations across the world. This scholarship can help me achieve my career goal of opening up bakeries and having them in multiple locations worldwide. With my education, I can give back to my community and teach people who want to learn how to bake professionally. Not everyone can afford college, so I want to teach people the skills needed to become a great baker. I want to make a positive impact on my community by opening multiple bakeries and providing my community with jobs in this industry. In my future career, I want to provide job opportunities for people who are like me and have a passion for what I do also. I want to give those job opportunities and even teach students and kids how to get a career in baking. I want to set an example for future African American children.

I have served my community at my Church Written Epistle Church of Jesus Christ. One way that I have helped my community is by helping organize the church. I have also volunteered as a helper for Vacation Bible School. I helped the young children in my church learn more about the bible and the stories in it. During that time, we made the learning process fun and easy for the kids to understand. I have also done free babysitting to help relieve the stress of some of my friends and family. During my 10th-grade year, our school had 2 weeks to focus on community service in Charlotte. In this period we organized clothes and bath products at shelters at a sanctuary to help people get their lives back on track. We also helped clean up the neighborhood around my school and one woman came out of her home and told us how she really appreciated that we were cleaning the community because no one else would take the initiative. It made a huge impact since the neighborhoods around our school are in the lower class. In the future, I have plans also to give back to my community. With my education, I can gain the knowledge I need to teach people in my community who want to learn how to bake professionally. Not everyone can afford college, so I want to teach people the skills needed to become a great baker. I want to make a positive impact on my community by opening multiple bakeries and providing my community with jobs in this industry. My Financial circumstances at the moment could be better than what it is now. I am majoring in Baking & Pastry Arts at Johnson & Wales University. Since Johnson & Wales University is a private school tuition does cost a lot of money. I would like to get more scholarships to help pay for my tuition so that it is not a burden on my parents. For the first two years of college takes $40,000 to get my associate degree. I then will go back to school to receive my bachelor's degree in Baking & Pastry Arts and Business Studies. Of, course going back to school will cost more money, and the plan is for me to not have any student debt when I graduate, so I do not have any student loans. receiving this scholarship would help ease the load of money that my parents are paying every month. Thank you for your time, Jordan Howard.

My favorite to cheer for on Team USA is Simone Biles. The reason why I like to cheer on Simone is not only because of her amazing skills as a gymnast but also because of her amazing will through the life she has been given. Hearing that Simone's parents had an addiction to drugs and put her and her siblings in foster care touched my heart and I realized how much she has been through at such a young age. I am so thankful that she has loving grandparents who adopted her and pushed her to be who she is now, which is inspiring. Although my parents have never had an addiction problem, they still support me in my dreams and my career goals for the future. Also, her accrediting her success to God connects with me too. Seeing Simone fly through the air reminds me of me. Having a hard-working and determined spirit with a loving family to back her up sounds like my story. Knowing that Simone has become this huge and well-known athlete makes me think of how big and known I could be someday. Knowing that God will be with me to help me achieve my goals like Simone did will be all worth it.

Having God in my life has not only saved my life but has taught me many values that I like to remember throughout my life. The Lord has helped fix my relationship with my father and now I am in a better place than I have ever been. Besides that, I have learned different values like determination, humility, and discipline to help me stay grounded as I go through life. The Lord has taught me how never to give up and to always stay focused on the final goal, which has helped me apply it to my life both spiritually and naturally. He has taught me how to stay humble and respect my elders and the people who are above me. I have learned that you can’t walk around with a big ego and think you are above people when you haven’t done anything worth being high-minded. Lastly, God has taught discipline not only naturally but also spiritually. To me being disciplined means that you have self-control and are in the right mindset to make good decisions. You can't let the world deceive you into things that you know are not right and that would mess with your spiritual man. I attend church at Written Epistle Church of Jesus Christ, W.E.C.J.C., and I would say that the success that I have received from my business came from God. He saw my passion for baking and blessed my hands with the ability to create and decorate baked goods that I didn’t even think was possible. Without God, I would still be struggling with trying to bake desserts. My business wouldn’t even be in the state that it is right now. I plan on majoring in Baking & Pastry Arts and minoring in business studies at Johnson and Wales University so I can perfect my craft and further work on my career to help take it to higher levels. My business plan is to continue baking but also create more of an online presence. I need to finalize my business name and once I do that, I will have that name on my social media platforms and business cards. When my business takes off I would eventually have to move into a studio or building to create my baked goods on a bigger scale. After that, I would see where God takes me. My plan overall, is to stick with God because I know through him all things are possible.

Since I was a young girl, I have loved baking. Around the age of ten, I had an easy bake oven, and I would make mini cakes and cookies. I would always be in the kitchen making some sort of dessert. When I was around fourteen, I baked my first cake. It did not look the best, but I was still proud of myself that it was even standing up! Over time, I kept baking various cakes, cookies, brownies, and more. This love for baking eventually grew into something more than just a hobby. I knew that I wanted to do this professionally. About two years ago I started my own business. Right now I do not have a name because I want my business name to be good enough for it to stick and be memorable. Most of my customers are my family and friends, but my business has branched out to people outside of my family and friends. I have baked for people who also work in the food industry, and I have made desserts for my peers at school too. I attend church at Written Epistle Church of Jesus Christ, W.E.C.J.C., and I would say that the success that I have received from my business came from God. He saw my passion for baking and blessed my hands with the ability to create and decorate baked goods that I didn’t even think was possible. Without God, I would still be struggling with trying to bake cookies. My business wouldn’t even be in the state that it is right now. This scholarship will help pay for my tuition for my major in Baking & Pastry Arts and minoring in business management. It will also help me reach my career goal of opening up a bakery and having it in multiple locations across the world. With my education, I can gain the knowledge I need to teach people in my community who want to learn how to bake professionally. Not everyone can afford college, so I want to teach people the skills needed to become a great baker. I want to make a positive impact on my community by opening multiple bakeries and providing my community with jobs in this industry.

Since I was a young girl, I have loved baking. Around the age of ten, I had an easy bake oven, and I would make mini cakes and cookies. I would always be in the kitchen making some sort of dessert. When I was around fourteen, I baked my first cake. It did not look the best, but I was still proud of myself that it was even standing up! Over time, I kept baking various cakes, cookies, brownies, and more. This love for baking eventually grew into something more than just a hobby. I knew that I wanted to do this professionally. The way I mainly got into baking was from watching YouTube videos. I watched Rosanna Pansino and Yolanda Gampp, who are very successful female bakers. I watched them for multiple years. I would watch their videos on how to decorate a cake and learn different tips and tricks and I applied those skills to my baking. I was also influenced by my Dad. My Dad is also in the food industry. I got some of my baking influence from him because of how much he cooked in the kitchen. Even though my Dad loves to cook more than bake, it's the feeling you get from making delicious food and having your loved ones enjoy that meal. That feeling that my dad had also inspired me to get in the kitchen, even though I have more of a sweet tooth. About two years ago I started my own business. Right now I do not have a name because I want my business name to be good enough for it to stick and be memorable. Most of my customers are my family and friends, but my business has branched out to people outside of my family and friends. I have baked for people who also work in the food industry and made desserts for my peers at school too. I attend church at Written Epistle Church of Jesus Christ, W.E.C.J.C., and I would say that the success that I have received from my business came from God. He saw my passion for baking and blessed my hands with the ability to create and decorate baked goods that I didn’t even think was possible. Without God, I would still be struggling with trying to bake cookies. My business wouldn’t even be in the state that it is right now. This scholarship can help me achieve my career goal of opening up bakeries and having them in multiple locations worldwide. With my education, I can give back to my community and teach people who want to learn how to bake professionally. Not everyone can afford college, so I want to teach people the skills needed to become a great baker. I want to make a positive impact on my community by opening multiple bakeries and providing my community with jobs in this industry.

My name is Jordan Howard. I was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. I am a Nigerian African American. I have served my community at my Church Written Epistle Church of Jesus Christ. One way that I have helped my community is by helping organize the church. I have also volunteered as a helper for Vacation Bible School. I helped the young children in my church learn more about the bible and the stories in it. During that time, we made the learning process fun and easy for the kids to understand. I have also done free babysitting to help relieve the stress of some of my friends and family. During my 10th-grade year, our school had 2 weeks to focus on community service in Charlotte. In this period we organized clothes and bath products at shelters at a sanctuary to help people get their lives back on track. We also helped clean up the neighborhood around my school and one woman came out of her home and told us how she really appreciated that we were cleaning the community because no one else would take the initiative. It made a huge impact since the neighborhoods around our school are in the lower class. Since I was a young girl, I have loved baking. Around the age of ten, I had an easy bake oven, and I would make mini cakes and cookies. I would always be in the kitchen making some sort of dessert. When I was around fourteen, I baked my first cake. It did not look the best, but I was still proud of myself that it was even standing up! Over time, I kept baking various cakes, cookies, brownies, and more. This love for baking eventually grew into something more than just a hobby. I knew that I wanted to do this professionally. About two years ago I started my own business. Most of my customers are my family and friends, but my business has branched out to people outside of my family and friends. I have baked for people who also work in the food industry, and I have made desserts for my peers at school too. I attend church at Written Epistle Church of Jesus Christ, W.E.C.J.C., and I would say that the success that I have received from my business came from God. He saw my passion for baking and blessed my hands with the ability to create and decorate baked goods that I didn’t even think was possible. Without God, I would still be struggling with trying to bake cookies. My business wouldn’t even be in the state that it is right now. I plan on majoring in Baking & Pastry Arts and minoring in business studies. Receiving this scholarship will help me achieve my goals of opening bakeries and having them in multiple locations worldwide. With my education, I can gain the knowledge I need to teach people in my community who want to learn how to bake professionally. Not everyone can afford to go to college, so I want to teach people the different skills needed to become a great baker. I want to make a positive impact on my community by opening multiple bakeries and providing my community with jobs in this industry.

I was sitting on the ground with my hands over my eyes. Crying and thinking I was not good enough or smart enough. Contemplating that if I did not score well, I would be a disappointment. My mom was there, trying to comfort me, but I tuned her out. I did not want to hear other thoughts or opinions except my own. That night, I lay in bed, berating myself about how I should be better and how I might disappoint my Dad with my poor grade. I got up the next day and went to school like nothing happened. All I wanted was to do better on the next American History test. What was wrong with this was that I got into my head. I would second-guess myself and sike myself out, which would cause me to get the answer wrong. Having this repeat throughout months of my life was damaging to my mental health. It got so bad that I would cry myself to sleep every night. I reviled myself for not having the best grades I could get. Since I was a little girl, I have always been importunate in getting good grades and submitting my work before it was due. I have always been the type of person who gets an A in every class. My standards for myself have been high from the beginning, which my Dad has instilled in me, but having this quality was not always the best. Having an A in school made me happy, but whenever I got the occasional B or C, I would shut down and get upset. Having this happen would have me break down so much that my mind would become melancholy. From this experience, I learned that it is great to give my all, but it is also all right when I fail sometimes. The way I would use what I have learned in college would be that I will always give a hundred percent when completing my assignments. I will always try my hardest and do my best to achieve the highest grade I can receive, but I also understand that I will make errors in life. I will put myself out there with clubs, sports, internships, and jobs. However, if I don’t get into a specific sport, club, or position it wasn’t meant to be, I will move on. I will always bounce back from difficulty and obstruction. Although I will make some mistakes, I will always strive for greatness because if it can be acquired, good is no longer an option. With my education, I can gain the knowledge I need to teach people in my community who want to learn how to bake professionally. Not everyone can afford to go to college, so I want to teach people the different skills needed to become a great baker. I want to make a positive impact on my community by opening multiple bakeries and providing my community with jobs in this industry.

I was sitting on the ground with my hands over my eyes. Crying and thinking I was not good enough or smart enough. Contemplating that if I did not score well, I would be a disappointment. My mom was there, trying to comfort me, but I tuned her out. I did not want to hear other thoughts or opinions except my own. That night, I lay in bed, berating myself about how I should be better and how I might disappoint my Dad with my poor grade. I got up the next day and went to school like nothing happened. All I wanted was to do better on the next American History test. What was wrong with this was that I got into my head. I would second-guess myself and sike myself out, which would cause me to get the answer wrong. Having this repeat throughout months of my life was damaging to my mental health. It got so bad that I would cry myself to sleep every night. I reviled myself for not having the best grades I could get. Since I was a little girl, I have always been importunate in getting good grades and submitting my work before it was due. I have always been the type of person that gets an A in every class. My standards for myself have been high from the beginning, which my Dad has instilled in me, but having this quality was not always the best. Having an A in school made me happy, but whenever I got the occasional B or C, I would shut down and get upset. Having this happen would have me break down so much that my mind would become melancholy. One evening, I talked with my Dad and told him about how the high expectations made me feel as if I got anything less than a B, I was not good enough and would upset him. He told me that he never meant to hurt me and that pushing me to be my best was all out of love. From that day, I slowly realized that it's all right to try my hardest in everything, but my hardest may not be enough, and that is okay because I am only human. From this experience, I learned that it is great to give my all, but it is also all right when I fail sometimes. The way I would use what I have learned in college would be that I will always give a hundred percent when completing my assignments. I will always try my hardest and do my best to achieve the highest grade I can receive, but I also understand that I will make errors in life. I will put myself out there with clubs, sports, internships, and jobs. However, if I don’t get into a specific sport, club, or position it wasn’t meant to be, I will move on. I will always bounce back from difficulty and obstruction. Although I will make some mistakes, I will always strive for greatness because if it can be acquired, good is no longer an option.

My name is Jordan Howard. I was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. I am a Nigerian African American. I am eighteen years old, and I am a senior at John Taylor Williams Secondary Montessori. I have served my community at my Church Written Epistle Church of Jesus Christ. One way that I have helped my community is by helping organize the church. I have also volunteered as a helper for Vacation Bible School. I helped the young children in my church learn more about the bible and the stories in it. During that time, we made the learning process fun and easy for the kids to understand. I have also done free babysitting to help relieve the stress of some of my friends and family. During my 10th-grade year, our school had 2 weeks to focus on community service in Charlotte. In this period we organized clothes and bath products at shelters at a sanctuary to help people get their lives back on track. We also helped clean up the neighborhood around my school and one woman came out of her home and told us how she appreciated that we were cleaning the community because no one else would take the initiative. It made a huge impact since the neighborhoods around our school are in the lower class. During and after college I will continue to volunteer at my church for Vacation Bible School to help the youth of my church continue to learn about God. After college, I hope to use the knowledge I gain to teach people in my community who would want to learn how to bake on a professional level. Not everyone can afford to go to college, so I would want to teach people the different skills needed to become a great baker. I would also want to make a positive impact on my community by opening multiple bakeries and providing my community with jobs in this industry.

My name is Jordan Howard. I was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. I am a Nigerian African American. Since I was a young girl, I have loved baking. Around the age of ten, I had an easy bake oven, and I would make mini cakes and cookies. I would always be in the kitchen making some dessert. When I was around fourteen, I baked my first cake. It did not look the best, but I was still proud of myself that it was even standing up! Over time, I kept baking various cakes, cookies, brownies, and more. This love for baking eventually grew into something more than just a hobby. I knew that I wanted to do this professionally. The way I mainly got into baking was from watching YouTube videos. I watched Rosanna Pansino and Yolanda Gampp, who are successful female bakers. I watched them for multiple years. I would watch their videos on how to decorate a cake and learn different tips and tricks and I applied those skills to my baking. My Dad also influenced me. My Dad is also in the food industry. I got some of my baking influence from him because of how much he cooked in the kitchen. Even though my Dad loves to cook more than bake, it's the feeling you get from making delicious food and having your loved ones enjoy that meal. That feeling that my dad had also inspired me to get in the kitchen, even though I have more of a sweet tooth. About two years ago I started my own business. Most of my customers are my family and friends, but my business has branched out to people outside my family and friends. I have also baked for people who work in the food industry and made desserts for my peers at school too. To further my education I plan on majoring in Baking & Pastry Arts and minoring in business management at Johnson and Wales University to perfect my craft and further work on my career to help take it to higher levels. My career goals are to open up bakeries and have them in multiple locations across the world. With my education, I can gain the knowledge that I need to teach people in my community who would want to learn how to bake on a professional level. Not everyone can afford to go to college, so I would want to teach people the different skills needed to become a great baker. I would also want to make a positive impact on my community by opening multiple bakeries and providing my community with jobs in this industry.

I plan on majoring in Baking & Pastry Arts and minoring in business management. I have chosen this education field because I have loved baking since I was a young girl. Around the age of ten, I had an easy bake oven, and I would make mini cakes and cookies. I would always be in the kitchen making some dessert. When I was around fourteen, I baked my first cake. It did not look the best, but I was still proud of myself that it was even standing up! Over time, I kept baking various cakes, cookies, brownies, and more. This love for baking eventually grew into something more than just a hobby. I knew that I wanted to do this professionally. The reason why I have planned an entrepreneurial career is because I do not want to have to work for anyone. I have seen kids my age getting jobs and I have heard a lot of complaints. I have also heard a lot of complaints from adults older than me. I don't want to have to be stuck at a 9 to 5 working for a person who controls my every move of when I can have a break. I also don't want to be stuck at a job I do not love. In this society, people do not get paid what they should and I wouldn't want to get a job with higher pay and have it be a job I hate. I want to be able to control my schedule and my pay. About two years ago I started my own business. Right now I do not have a name because I want my business name to be good enough for it to stick and be memorable. Most of my customers are my family and friends, but my business has branched out to people outside of my family and friends. I have baked for people who also work in the food industry, and I have made desserts for my peers at school too. I have worked at a place in this field and while it is what I would want to do I missed the freedom that I get from running my own business. While working for myself I have learned many values that other people may have learned later on in their life, but while I have learned much I do want to continue my education for my industry to perfect my craft. The reason why I will be successful, first, is because of God. With God by my side, I know that I will be successful in anything that I do. Second, because I will get the proper education for the profession I want to get into. Lastly, because I have practiced my profession for the past couple of years practice makes perfect. I will always keep working towards my goals and I won't stop.

My name is Jordan Howard. I was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. I am a Nigerian African American. I am eighteen years old, and I am a senior at John Taylor Williams Secondary Montessori. I have attended a Montessori school all my life. Since I was a young girl, I have loved baking. Around the age of ten, I had an easy bake oven, and I would make mini cakes and cookies. I would always be in the kitchen making some sort of dessert. When I was around fourteen, I baked my first cake. It did not look the best, but I was still proud of myself that it was even standing up! Over time, I kept baking various cakes, cookies, brownies, and more. This love for baking eventually grew into something more than just a hobby. I knew that I wanted to do this professionally. The way I mainly got into baking was from watching YouTube videos. I watched Rosanna Pansino and Yolanda Gampp, who are very successful female bakers. I watched them for multiple years. I would watch their videos on how to decorate a cake and learn different tips and tricks and I applied those skills to my own baking. About two years ago I started my own business. Right now I do not have a name because I want my business name to be good enough for it to stick and be memorable. Most of my customers are my family and friends, but my business has branched out to people outside of my family and friends. I have baked for people who also work in the food industry, and I have made desserts for my peers at school too. I attend church at Written Epistle Church of Jesus Christ, W.E.C.J.C., and I would say that the success that I have received from my business came from God. He saw my passion for baking and blessed my hands with the ability to create and decorate baked goods that I didn’t even think was possible. I plan on majoring in Baking & Pastry Arts and minoring in business management. My career goals are to open up a bakery and have it in multiple locations worldwide. In my future career, I want to provide job opportunities for people who are like me and have a passion for what I do also. I want to give those job opportunities and even teach students and kids how to get a career in baking. I want to set an example for future black kids.