The sweet smell of fresh brownies fills the hallways as junior Yara Abukanan unwraps a box of warm treats, the rich, chocolatey centers still soft from last night’s bake. 

What started as a simple hobby for Abukanan has turned into something bigger: a brownie business that has caught the attention of peers at school. Each week, Abukanan posts an announcement on Instagram for her followers, letting them know when a new batch will drop and which dessert won the poll she created that week. 

Abukanan started her business in October and typically receives around six orders a week, each brownie costing $2. Her brownies take approximately thirty-five minutes to make, and unlike other student-run businesses that rely on pop-up sales, Abukanan’s business operates within the school. She takes orders from her friends and peers throughout the school week and then passes out the brownie batches in the mornings. 

“I think her business being at school [is great],” Daggubati said. “[It’s hard to leave school] and make time out of your day to go buy brownies. It’s like [having] a friend you can ask to make you something, [which is] really convenient. Honestly, [selling brownies at school is] a great idea.” 

Abukanan’s passion for baking didn’t appear out of the blue; she drew inspiration from someone who had been baking throughout her childhood. Encouraging her to start a business, her mom helped her test out recipes. Although it was nerve-racking for Abukanan, since it was her first time starting a business and having to advertise it at school, she knew she wasn’t alone. Her brownies helped make connections with people who cared about her, like her friends and family.

“My mom has been involved because she has been baking for years and bakes several treats, but I really enjoyed her brownies that were rich in chocolate flavor and had a nice chocolate drizzle on top, which also made me want to start selling brownies,” Abukanan said. “I got the bravery to start a business because of my friends and people that I know, my mom was one of the main people able to support me.”

Once Abukanan decided to start her business, she soon had to decide what she would sell.

“What inspired me to start my business was my love for baking,” Abukanan said. “I wanted people to try what I made, and I also wanted to experiment with new desserts, not just brownies, but cookies and dessert cups too.”

Although Abukanan’s initial plan was to sell cookies due to their popularity, she ultimately decided that brownies were a better fit.

“Cookies can be tricky,” Abukanan said. “Everyone likes them in their own way: soft, chewy, crunchy. But brownies? Everyone loves them the same way; chewy and chocolatey.”

Abukanan has been baking since her freshman year; however, her process didn’t start out flawless.

“The first time I made brownies was freshman year. I felt good because [the batch] was successful and my family members said that they liked it. My first batch was not perfect because I accidentally put too much batter, which made the brownies a bit bigger than expected, but overall, the taste was great,” Abukunan said. 

For Abukanan, practice made perfect; her time and effort baking led to her finally perfecting her recipe.

“It [didn’t] take that long to make [the brownies] right because they aren’t that difficult to make, but it took me around 2 weeks to perfect the texture and amount of batter,” Abukanan said. 

Her love for brownies helped her business take off; classmates placed their orders and spread the word about her desserts, showing a sense of community. As this happened, Abukanan’s following increased from one follower to one hundred and four followers in under a month.

“Her brownies are very rich in flavor, and you can’t find that in an ordinary grocery store,” sophomore Sanjana Daggubati said. “They’re freshly baked every night, and you can tell when you take a bite that they’re rich and moist inside.” 

Abukanan’s brownies are not only rich in taste, but they also evoke a sense of comfort and connection, which is one of the reasons she loves to bake. Her school business has brought customers together at West, allowing people to talk about their interests and rate her desserts with other students.

“I think sharing brownies matters because it creates bonds between people who love brownies and the fudgy, chocolate flavor,” Abukanan said.

Abukanan has big dreams for the future and hopes to achieve them through hard work and dedication. She wants to expand Yara’s brownies to more than a school business, and hopes her brownies continue to bring people together.

“My plans for the future are to expand my business, maybe to the point where I may want to open my own bakery, [even though that isn’t my actual career plan] but my main goal for the future is to just get more orders per week from different people around the school and to have new flavors, even ones for a limited time with holiday themes,” Abukanan said. 

Abukanan’s accessibility and baking skills have helped her business expand. As her small business continues to grow, Abukanan remains motivated by the passion that started it all, a genuine love for baking, and the feeling of connection her brownies bring with people inside and outside of school. Food helps people connect, and Abukanan hopes her in-school brownie can help people at West achieve a sense of community. For now, she plans to continue perfecting her recipes and experimenting with new treats, to make this goal possible, one tray at a time.