IsabellaHayes

Marian girls are no strangers to sweets. Some students turn their sweet tooth into a hobby through the art of baking. Others have taken their skills a step further by starting their own businesses.

One such entrepreneur is senior Molly Duncan. She has been baking for some time but only started selling her desserts this past year. 

“I first got into baking as a kid. I would help my grandma a lot and we would bake together,” Duncan said. 

Now Duncan has a thriving business, primarily selling a variety of cookies and cakes, with other treats like brownies available upon request.

Though her bestsellers are cookies, Duncan’s favorite treats to make are cakes. “I enjoy the artistic aspect [of baking],” she said. 

Another hard-working entrepreneur is sophomore London Pham, who began her baking business, Baked by London, last summer. She was inspired by her aunt, a French pastry chef. 

Pham’s array of available sweets includes macarons, cakes, cookies and cupcakes. Her most sought-after items are number-shaped cakes that are perfect for birthday celebrations.

To get started, Pham took a class about baking and entrepreneurship that taught her how to handle aspects such as deciding pricing for her baked goods. 

In regards to continuing her business after high school and college, she currently plans to “keep it as a side hustle.”

The Marian community members make up Duncan and Pham’s biggest supporters.    

“A lot of girls at Marian order from me,” Pham said. 

As well, Duncan gave back to Marian by selling treats to support her class during this past Walk-a-Thon season.

A challenge they face in terms of running a business is balancing time spent on work and on school. 

“I have to get schoolwork done, but I also have things to bake,” Duncan said.

 Nevertheless, entrepreneurship has been a rewarding and educational experience for both. 

To check out photos of these bakers’ desserts, find more information and place your own orders, visit their Instagram pages, @molbaked and @baked_by_london.

Next time you have a sweet craving, look no further than Marian’s own baking businesswomen.