When asked about 12-year-old Eden’s friendship with her mentor, Rita, Connecting Champions virtual program associate Cait lit up: “Oh my gosh! I love these guys,” she exclaimed.
Eden loves baking and hopes to make a career out of it one day. That’s why we introduced her to Rita Selles, the owner and baker of Edgewood Bakery in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Eden has learned a plethora of skills regarding cake baking and decorating from Rita and her popular home kitchen bakery.
Rita has taught Eden the best techniques of decorating cakes, including how to create flowers out of icing and how to properly add piping to create a masterpiece. To make sure that Eden is able to get the full experience despite them meeting virtually, Rita sets up different camera angles to provide a more all-encompassing experience. “Rita got crafty with her cameras,” said Cait. “She had a camera that essentially sat over her kickstand so you could see exactly what she was doing. She also had a camera so that you could see her.” Thanks to Rita’s creativity, Eden was able to see both her mentor and the art that Rita was creating.
Prior to their meetings, Eden would make a different dessert that would be her canvas for her time with Rita. Whether they were decorating cakes or cupcakes, Rita brought her usual excitement and showed how she truly cares about her friend. “Rita was so engaged and involved,” said Cait. “She really tailored the meetings to what Eden wanted and the creations that she could make.”
Combining Rita’s dedication with Eden’s excitement turned out to be the perfect recipe to a really sweet treat.
