“I began baking independently around the age of 10. My parents own a restaurant, The Oriental Pearl,” said Cerena Wu, ninth grader and avid baker. “Of course I’ve been cooking up trouble ever since I was able to walk. My dad carried me on his back when he was cooking, and I felt like it was such an amazing thing to do. That’s how I found my love for cooking and baking. Working at the restaurant and seeing my parents cook all my life made me want to cook, too. For now, I mostly make desserts such as cakes and cookies, and fancy desserts, like French macaroons and soufflé. When I have time I like to experiment with new recipes, and I even have my mom translate the Chinese cookbooks for me to read. My culture is another thing that has inspired my baking. I use many Asian flavors, such as green tea and red bean. Right now I’m trying to get more attention to my sweet treats, and I’ve sold many of my cakes to friends. All I want is to brighten up someone’s day with a little sweetness.”

She leans over her sheet of freshly baked cookies and sets it to the side. She grabs the bowl of dough and begins to shape it. One scoop, two scoops, three scoops. The sheet is filled and placed carefully into the giant oven heated up to 350 degrees. She shuts the oven door and turns on the light. Peering through the window of the oven door she watches as her cookies turn golden brown. Behind her there are sheets of cookies, pans of batter, and a mixer for her latest creation. It’s easy to see how she loves baking. The sounds of the restaurant swirl around her, but she’s focused on her food. Once done she puts her cookies onto the tray at the dessert end of the buffet. Her ponytail is messy, but she’s happy.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re big or small, short or tall, or what your race is. Nothing like that matters when you’re cooking,” Cerena says. Someone getting up to go the the buffet takes a cookie, and their life is changed. They tell their families to try this cookie or cupcake or roll cake. Cerena smiles. She knows that she just made someone’s day a little sweeter. “My life is pretty sweet,” Cerena says. “I’m really lucky to be able to do what I love.”