With the Valentine’s season in bloom, businesses far and wide seek to market their best products in order to profit off of the love in the air. One such business belongs to a pair of Bonita Vista High (BVH) Get to the Pointe (GTP) dancers and seniors Aaliyah Victoria and Carlene Rico. The pair sells baked goods and sweets in order to raise money for their upcoming GTP dance competition in Chicago.
The duo started their business as a result of their shared passion for dance, a need to get money for their trip, a common knowledge of baking and their chemistry. The mutual sisterhood between the two was an especially large part in their recent success.
“Since we’re both dancers and we’re both part of GTP, we’ve had a lot of opportunities to grow closer. Having so much in common has given us so much time to hang out together, and every time that I get to hang out with Carlene, I’ve always had a great time,” Victoria said. “Carlene is my best friend and practically my sister.”
Victoria and Rico’s friendship has been a big factor in the effectiveness of their business. Their ability to freely communicate with one another prevents them from getting into misunderstandings about the direction of their partnership.
“Carlene and I are very good at communicating with one another, that’s what makes our relationship work so well. I feel like we’re both very understanding with each other’s time constraints, especially since we’re both International Baccalaureate (IB) students,” Victoria said.
The duo’s communication skills have also played a big part in promoting their sales. BVH Integrated Math II teacher Cesar Gaitan shares how the girls’ innate social skills and willingness to talk about their interests persuaded him to purchase from their business.
“Their success is due to their charisma, communication skills and their networking skills. They are able to communicate their plans and objectives clearly in a way that makes others feel welcome,” Gaitan said.
Similar to Gaitan, many BVH teachers have also been very supportive of Victoria and Rico’s business. The two greatly appreciate the contributions that teachers have made to their company. Rico takes time to reflect on how the support of her teachers have shown her the importance of having good connections.
“Our teachers have definitely been our biggest supporters so far. It’s heartwarming to see how willing our old teachers are to help their old students,” Rico said. “It’s our senior year so we’ve built connections with a bunch of teachers and for them to go out of their way to help us and tell us to update them about Chicago is just awesome and eye opening to the community that we’re in.”
The BVH staff seems to agree upon the idea that students deserve ample encouragement for their endeavors, both on and off campus. Gaitan goes on to mention the obligation that many teachers feel in assisting the passions of their students.
“I believe that teachers and staff should foster and encourage students’ goals inside and outside of the classroom. Since I am a math teacher, I can relate to their business plan and I can provide my opinion,” Gaitan said.
Furthermore, Gaitan states that the BVH community allows for students to grow and continue pursuing the activities they enjoy. He further talks about how teachers understand that students may need extra funds to continue their journeys, just like how Victoria and Rico need more money for their trip to Chicago.
“BVH provides a welcoming environment for all students. Teachers are supportive of students’ fundraising efforts because we understand that taking part in sports, clubs and other extracurricular activities sometimes requires extra expenses such as having to purchase equipment or having to travel for a competition,” Gaitan said.
Just as the teachers enjoy seeing their students succeed, Victoria and Rico enjoy seeing the effects of their business on others at BVH. Victoria recounts how her experiences in making people’s days better with her and Rico’s products has changed her perspective on giving to others.
“Being able to see the difference that we can make on campus is nothing short of incredible. With the simple act of selling baked goods, I feel like I’ve made an impact that I couldn’t have made in the past. Being able to share something as simple as a warm brownie fresh out of the oven really makes me think about this community and how supportive it truly is,” Victoria said.
