By Elise Tran, Designer-in-Chief
When you see a warm, ooey-gooey, mouth-watering cinnamon roll, you just can’t hold your smile back. As you take the first bite, the delicious white frosting melts into your mouth with the slight hint of cinnamon and dough to balance out the flavors. Every bite you take gets better and better, until it’s all gone. Those types of cinnamon buns are the best. Junior Katelyn Dang bakes up a frenzy with those cinnamon buns.
Not only does Dang bake cinnamon buns from scratch and sells them to her friends and family, she donates her profits to a charity. Looking for a charity group that would make a positive impact for her peers and community, she decided to donate to Robyne’s Nest, an organization that supports at-risk and homeless high school students in the Huntington Beach Union High School District (HBUHSD).
“When I realized that friends and family would pay to buy my cinnamon buns, I decided to donate the profits to a worthy charity,” said Dang.
Dang started around the beginning of the school year. Every month, she sets aside one day, typically Sundays, to make cinnamon buns. The day chosen depends on her amount of homework and when her swim meets are. Despite dedicating a full day to just making cinnamon buns, she enjoys it wholeheartedly.
“Although it takes almost an entire day to make [cinnamon buns], I found it relaxing because there are long [hours] of break in between each step,” said Dang. “There’s something satisfying about seeing my friends and family truly enjoy my tasty creations.”
Her interest in making the cinnamon buns sparked after coming across a Tasty BuzzFeed video of someone making them. After giving it a go, she found joy in turning simple ingredients to a delicious treat.
Dang said, “I typically bake cinnamon buns because something about making the dough and watching it become delicious is so wonderful.”
Making and selling the delectable treats has its perks, according to Dang. She hits two birds with one stone by helping people in her community out while doing what she loves. Not only that, but she gains personal business experience.
“I buy cinnamon buns from Katelyn [Dang] because it goes to a good cause,” said sophomore Emily Wong, a customer of Dang. “They also taste really good, and it’s nice to support a friend who’s trying to help others.”
Dang sells them for $2 each.
“It feels gratifying knowing that what I do is very fun for me, a yummy treat for my friends and at the same time, we…help make a difference in someone’s life,” said Dang.
