West Ranch is home to a wide range of students with various interests. Freshman Sophia Secreto-Valenzuela is one of many Wildcats who has decided to turn her love for baking, specifically baking cookies, into a passion and small business.
Valenzuela began her baking career at the beginning of this school year, but her passion for baking actually started when she watched a TikTok where other bakers were selling their cookies to friends and family with little effort and cost.
Valenzuela’s grandma also played a role in motivating her to pursue her passion. Valenzuela commented on how she found inspiration on a trip with her grandma. “She was baking a lot of sweets because it was my dad’s birthday,” Valenzuela explained. “I helped a lot with it, and over time, that need or passion to keep baking kept growing.”
Eventually, Valenzuela began to put her cookie plan into action. The process included gathering ingredients, creating her brand name, Baked with Love, creating an efficient system and more. “I slowly got into using my own ingredients and the ingredients my parents already bought. As I started selling [cookies] to my parents’ friends and co-workers, I started making a lot more money than I thought I would, so I started buying my own ingredients, [and] having my own bank account,” Valenzuela shared.
One of her cookie fans, freshman Iyushi Muthyala, was asked what makes this cookie business stand out from others. Muthyala emphasized Valenzuela’s determination. “I’ve seen people do this before, but they only do it for one day,” Muthyala shared. “Sophia does it every week.”
Freshman Bharath Krishnan has supported the small business from the start. Krishnan pointed out his desire to help his friend, as he knows that Valenzuela’s passion for baking is genuine. He also voiced his appreciation for the various flavors. “[Sophia] has new flavors every week, and has reasonable prices.”
Some of the many delicious cookies from Valenzuela’s menu include the Red Velvet White Chocolate Cookie and the Confetti Cookie. According to Muthyala, the cookies are semi-sweet and “crunchy on the outside but soft on the inside,” creating a balanced flavor profile.
Valenzuela guarantees quality in her cookies as she continues to make fresh batches on Wednesdays. For Valenzuela, it’s not just a cookie business, but the means to a greater end, as she wants to save “money for high school and [for business] experience.” She hopes to use her earnings to purchase an electric bike to ride to and from school by herself. Valenzuela strives to expand her cookie business and begin selling her cookies door-to-door.
With Valenzuela being one of many West Ranch students to have turned her passion into something bigger than just a fantasy, she is determined to continue baking and sharing her love for cookies with others. Cats, make sure to check out Baked with Love and support Valenzuela through her journey!
