If you had told the 10 year old version of me that one day I would be living in Auburn, Alabama, 6 hours away from my home city of Charlotte, to study culinary science, there is just no way she would believe you. I never thought anything as amazing as this was possible. As a girl who grew up obsessing over Cupcake Wars, YouTube bakers, and playing pretend in my own imaginary bakery, I am so, so grateful to be studying Hospitality Management with a focus in Culinary Science at the Auburn University Horst Schulze School of Hospitality Management. This program has truly changed my life over the last 3 years and has redefined my perspective on hospitality over and over again. It has been amazing to see how each student and faculty member put the guest first above all else and prioritize building the most memorable experience a customer could have. Since I was little, the kitchen has always been the place where I can forget about the stresses of the outside world and just relax. In my elementary years, my parents grew accustomed to the pitter-patter of my feet on the kitchen floor while they cooked meals. I was curious about every ingredient, every cooking method, and especially every dessert that was made.The primary reason why I am so determined to pursue culinary science and hospitality management is that my biggest dream in life is to open my own bakery. I love the idea of working for myself, but even more appealing is the prospect of sharing my baking creations with new people everyday and making an impact in their lives. I want to brighten someone’s day with my sweets. I want to see someone, old or young, discover a new passion in baking like I did when I was younger. I want to see customers’ eyes light up when they see the uniqueness of my desserts. Through baking, my sweet tooth is satisfied, my imagination is exercised, and my creativity is expressed. It fulfills my every need, so I honestly wish I could spend every minute of every day perfecting it. When I found out about the relatively new Culinary program at Auburn and the brand new Rane Culinary Science Center, I was starstruck. I have always been an Auburn fan, but that opportunity puts the cherry on top of attending the University. This is the first building in the United States to combine commercial establishments and educational facilities within the same doors, and it gives us students endless opportunities to get hands on learning experiences from some of the best chefs and hoteliers in the world. In my opinion, there is nowhere else in the world that I could study in such a high-quality facility with such high-quality professors.