The life of a baker

By Risa Fukaya – Horizon News & Feature Editor

Photo courtesy of Amy Sharp from Amy Sharp Photography

Carley Wyse has been thinking about how to build relationships with current students at Hesston College. As an admission counselor, she works very closely with students who are deciding if they want to come to Hesston, but once they get here, she doesn’t have much connection with them.

One day, she finally found the way: A baking club.

The idea to create the club came to her mind suddenly, along with memories of some of her first baking experiences. All her memories encouraged her to go for it.

Wyse has been baking for as long as she can remember. Her first baking experience is still fresh in her mind.

“I was pretty young,” she said. “I just thought that it was really fun and delicious.”

Wyse remembers running back and forth from the kitchen to the living room to ask her mother and grandmother questions about the recipe. Her mother and grandmother had always helped her bake, so all her memories of baking include them. Although they always tried to help her, she wanted to do it on her own.

She also used to love watching baking shows when she was a child. She learned new techniques for baking, and liked trying new recipes. After she completed the standard recipes, she eventually started to create her own. Recently, she started baking and decorating triple layer cakes.

“I had just baked a lot and got better by practicing,” she said.

She never stops trying something new to improve her baking skills. Now, she opens a new door as a resource for baking at Hesston College. She’s proved she’s motivated enough to pull this off.

When her boyfriend’s sister had a bridal shower last year, Wyse accepted the challenge  to bake the most complicated cake she has ever made: A cake with two layers of strawberry cake with a whole cheesecake in between.

The most complicated cake she has ever made which was for a wedding party.

Baking club is a whole new challenge, and Wyse says she is a little overwhelmed: 43 students signed up for the club, which is much more than she has expected. She has been brainstorming ways to provide enjoyable baking activities using the small fund allocated for the club. She wants to make the baking club to be a place where students learn baking skills, but more importantly, she wants to form relationships and have fun.

“For me, baking is really relaxing and rewarding,” she said. “ If I have had a stressful week, I spend all Saturday morning baking with a new recipe and blasting some good music.”

Add a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *