Baking is More Than Just Measuring by Julianna

Baking is More Than Just Measuring by Julianna - August 2026 Scholarship Essay

Doing Baking and Pastry Arts in a technical high school has taught me again and again to be patient and have room to grow. A specific memory I have is my junior year. We had a transfer student join my shop classes. The first day she was there, I started trying to be friends with her. I would talk loudly, talk to her about my life, and ask her questions. To my surprise, she didn't say anything. I thought she was ignoring me because she didn't like me. Because of this, I was very sad and disappointed that she didn't want to be friends with me. One day, I attempted to talk to her again. I started on my usual tangent about my day when she exploded at me. She told me I talk too much and I should shut up and stop talking to her. This absolutely baffled me. I thought I was a pretty likeable and accepting person, and this interaction made me rethink my entire personality. The next day, she brought me somewhere to talk privately. I thought she was going to berate me again or tell me to never talk to her again. Little did I know, she has sensory issues. She explained to me that noises over regular speaking level trigger her and tend to overwhelm her easily, hence why she didn't talk to me. She apologized for lashing out at me and said she hopes I would forgive her.
Of course I did, I had no clue that she had sensory issues and I completely understood. From then on, I had to do some reflecting about the subject. I learned not to overwhelm people immediately after meeting someone. I usually now ease into the conversation to get to know the person, instead of being super loud as soon as I talk. It took a lot of time and personal growth. When the girl witnessed me talking way too loud, she would lower her hand to tell me to lower my volume. Over time, she opened up to me and we became good friends. It took a lot to do self-work and reflection, but it was all worth it in the end. I learned to lead conversations with my head and not my mouth. She is the best thing that could’ve happened to me when it comes to what I needed to work on the most.