The loud, crashing sound of the ice falling, shattering across the bin fills the Cafe. Allisson turns her attention towards the wall and a wave of silence fills the room, calming her breathing and her mind. The brisk moment ends and Allisson turns her attention back to me, focusing on what she was previously saying. Allisson Huittron, NHS president, SHS member, high school orchestra player, long distance runner, and FCCLA member, followed her dreams of owning her own baking business from the age of 13.
Allisson opened her own business under the name AilynTreats before high school. With the constant support from her parents, it has allowed her to grow over time because, as Allisson says, “my parents have always been really hard working people their whole lives. They immigrated from Mexico, and they’re my biggest influence, because they set the example for me to go big or go home.” She continues with, “my mom is my biggest critic, and she is super straight up, like if she doesn’t like something, she says no, this is not good. So I value her opinion a lot.”
Culinary arts serve a very important purpose in Allisson’s life. Not only does it serve as a source of money, it also serves as a mental escape from all the struggles and difficulties of being a senior in high school that comes from a religious, Hispanic house. She explains calmly and focused, “a lot of people take sports as an escape away from everything. But for me, it’s like, when I just start baking and do things that I love or just work in the kitchen, it just distracts my mind from everything else.” When receiving orders and feedback from her customers, Allisson expresses that “it just makes me feel good because they’re happy, and I get happy when they’re happy and when they enjoy something that I made, that I like to do.”
Allisson’s family has always been big on religion, attending church every Sunday. She has continued practicing her religion and sends her appreciation constantly. She proudly says,
“Whenever I get an order, I just thank God that He gives me the opportunity. He gives me the client and he gives me the business to keep going.”
While Allisson has a set menu that she provides for customers, this doesn’t stop customers from pushing her out of her comfort zone and providing her with the challenge of creating a perfect dessert. “I always take challenges from clients,” she says, “every challenge they give me, I just accept it and practice it always turns out good”. Mrs. Szymczak is Allisson’s biggest supporter at school, giving her motivation, advice, and inspiration that keeps her going on the days she struggles most. Mrs. Szymczak told her, “do what you love, don’t let other people influence you, and just follow your heart, follow your passion.”
Because of Mrs. Szymczak’s memorable quote, Allisson realized what her true passion is, regardless of all the voices telling her to follow a different path. Reminiscing, she says,
“that’s when it clicked. Like, that’s what I want to do. I want to be a baking and pastry chef.”
Seeming to fill only a small portion of her life, Allisson’s business has led her on the path she would’ve never expected to be on. “It’s influenced me a lot because I want to be a baker and a pastry chef, and I want to manage my own business when I get older.” She continues with, “I want to open my own business, and my little business right now is influencing me. It’s like pushing me to those bigger things.”
Making the decision to create a baking business at only thirteen years old has pushed Allisson to discover her dreams that she will fulfill through culinary school and whatever she decides after.
