Jamie
“Give yourself as much love, grace, and kindness as you give your friends and family.”
Jamie is devoted and calculated when it comes to her career pursuits, currently studying to become a pastry chef at the San Francisco Cooking School. Although she had a strong passion for baking from a young age, it wasn’t until the COVID-19 lockdown hit that she was able to rethink and redirect her profession. After returning home to the US from her teaching assistant job in Cambodia, she began selling pies to friends, which soon expanded her market into local venues and events. Her diligence, creativity, and hardworking mentality make her a master of this craft, turning a childhood dream into an achievable reality. Meet Jamie. This is her story.
K: Please introduce yourself!
J: I am adopted from China and grew up in Idaho. Growing up, I participated in a lot of leadership programs, and 4-H — America’s largest youth development organization. In 4-H I did a lot of consumer science activities, such as scrapbooking, sewing and baking. My favorite extracurricular activity, though, was baking.
After high school, I didn’t bake as much because of the limited kitchen set up I had during college. I graduated undergrad in 2019, double majoring in marketing analytics and marketing, with a minor in statistics. The fall after graduation, I had a Fulbright English teaching assistant fellowship in Cambodia; my fellowship’s contract lasted from October 2019-August 2020. My program, like many things in March 2020, got cancelled. I returned home and decided I didn’t want to begin a career where I would primarily be sitting in front of a computer screen all day (something that marketing positions often do). Life’s short, I wanted to pursue my passion and joy of baking.
I baked a lot of pies during the beginning of Covid. One of my mom’s friend asked me how much my pies were. I thought he was joking; however, he was not. This was when I decided to start my own baking business. I sold at farmers markets and local events. I had a lot of positive feedback, and then played around the idea of going to pastry school. I had applied for a scholarship with the James Beard Foundation. If I received the scholarship, I told myself that I would go to school. I am beyond honored to have received a scholarship from the foundation, and to be able to continue to pursue my dream of becoming a pastry chef.
K: Describe yourself in your own words
J: Confident, free-spirited, hard working individual; loyal, loving, empathetic, friend and family member.
K: What is your favorite thing about yourself?
J: Whenever I commit to something, I invest my entire being — it doesn’t matter if it’s writing a letter of recommendation for a peer, learning a new recipe, or rekindling an old relationship; I’m intentional and devote everything to fulfill whatever I set my mind to.
K: Tell us a story. Have you had an experience that’s defined you or made you stronger?
J: In 2019, I moved to Phnom Penh, Cambodia for a Fulbright English teaching assistant fellowship position. I was supposed to be in Southeast Asia until August 2020. When covid began, I was evacuated and returned back to the states. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life — I had anticipated planning what to do post Cambodia during the latter half of my fellowship. The abrupt evacuation made me realize that I no longer wanted to pursue a career in the field I got my undergraduate degree; I realized life’s short and you spend way too much time working so you might as well enjoy what you do. This was a hard turning point in my life — I had to abandon the comforts of a corporate America job to pursue the creative side of baking: my true passion.
K: What is one piece of advice you would give to your younger self?
J: Give yourself as much love, grace, and kindness as you give your friends and family.
K: What does being a woman mean to you?
J: Possessing the tenacity and persistence to persevere through whatever obstacles people, culture, and life comes your way.
K: Who is one woman that inspires you? What would you say to her if she were here now?
J: Inka, a friend of mine, inspires me — she is like a second mother to me. She is continuously joyful, regardless of her circumstances; loves everyone, regardless of their history; gives generously in whatever way she can.
She would encourage me to remain true to my values and beliefs, and to continue to give my best efforts in all of my pursuits.
Checking out Jamie’s creations on her Instagram page.