Adrienne Gordon
2024 Scholarship Recipient
Adrienne, a single mother of three boys, has shouldered the weight of financing her education herself. In addition to attending school full-time, Adrienne also works full-time for the City of Chicago as a 911 operator.
She is driven by a desire to be an example for her sons, showing them that “failure is simply not an option in the face of adversity.”
Adrienne completed the Baking & Pastry Program at Kennedy-King College in 2023 and is currently in the Culinary & Hospitality Program at Washburne Culinary & Hospitality Institute at Kennedy-King.
Adrienne has a passion not just for gaining the education and experience to that will take her to the next level, but for giving back to the community. During the pandemic, Adrienne took a leap of faith launched her own baking and catering business (Vashti’s Sweets & Catering), to not only help make ends meet, but to gather valuable real-life experience.
She also spearheaded a series of cooking workshops underprivileged youth in her community, providing hands-on culinary training, nutrition education and life skills, to empower participants to take more control over their health and well-being through cooking.
As her instructor wrote, “Adrienne is an outstanding and hard-working student. She is always willing to come in early to help and is usually the last one out. With all that she has going on, she still maintains an A in class and still pushes forward when she has setbacks.”
Wilna Francois
2023 Plugrà Pastry Scholarship Recipient
Wilna is from Haiti and came to the U.S. in 2019 on an F-1 visa, as an international student. Growing up, Wilna cooked for her siblings when she was just 8 years old. At age 12, she moved to an orphanage, so cooking was required – but she relished helping out in the kitchen whenever she could.
Mollie McNulty
2024 Scholarship Recipient
Mollie’s goal after graduation is to work in the events industry, particularly the conventions and
professional meeting planning. Mollie comes from a single-parent household and has funded her entire education through scholarships and working various internships in hospitality and even planning.
Her interest started at age 5, when a family member opened a bar in her hometown of New Orleans, which eventually became a full restaurant where she got her first job at age 16.
Since then, Mollie has searched for and seized every opportunity to learn and work in the industry. She has worked as a student intern for Choose Chicago and City Cruises of Chicago, and is university chapter president of Professional Convention Management Association.
Mollie has a particular interest in giving back, and recently started as an event planning intern with the Ruff Institute for Global Homelessness. Advocating for women in hospitality is another passion for Mollie, who has been inspired by mentors throughout the academic and work life. “Work-life balance is so important, and I hope to be a leader in prioritizing balance for women in the hospitality field.”
Grace Porteus
2024 Plugrà Pastry Scholarship Recipient
Grace’s goal is to work at a local bakery to gain experience toward her dream of opening her own bakery.
Grace’s love of baking began she was little, seeking a way to hang out with her big sisters. Baking was the thing that brought them together. “We created many memories together, singing and dancing together, all the while making our creations,” she writes. “When my sisters moved out of the house, I decided to keep those memories alive by continuing to bake even if I was on my own.”
Grace started baking cupcakes for family members, and soon for her church. Through word-of-mouth, Grace began getting requests for cupcakes for birthday and graduation parties and local festivals. Her business – Goodies by Grace – began building and after graduating high school, she knew her next track was pastry school.
“What really matters to me is that I can impact the community around me through baking.”
Grace cites two recent events that were especially meaningful for her: a craft fair that she provided cupcakes for that raised funds for an orphanage in Kenya, and a veteran’s dinner that honored those who fought for our country. “I was so blessed to be part of these events and it showed me how much impact I can have, giving back to those in need.”