HCC graduate LaShaun Jackson finds recipe for success with career as pastry chef

Jul 29, 2016

LaShaun Jackson has overcome many obstacles in her life and never imagined that she would graduate from college.

“As a child I had really bad vision and a stutter that caused me to struggle through elementary school,” she said. “In my older years, life got in the way of pursuing my childhood dream of becoming a pastry chef.”

Today, Jackson is not only a Houston Community College (HCC) graduate with Honors, but the grandmother is also living that dream – as a pastry chef at the Woodlands Resort Conference Center – a perfect recipe for someone who always had a passion for baking.

“I’d always had a love for baking ever since I was a little girl. I got my first easy bake oven and started baking cakes. It always seemed to make people happy so I associated little cakes with happy people.”

In order to become a pastry chef, the woman who dedicated her entire life to her children, who are now grown, shifted her focus to her career goal and chose the world-renowned HCC Baking and Pastry Arts program.

“Houston Community College is a place for dreamers,” said Jackson. “When I would lay my head down on that pillow at night and close my eyes, I saw myself becoming a baking pastry chef. Houston Community College gave me the opportunity to gain those skills and learn those trades.”

The HCC Baking & Pastry Arts program is part of the HCC Consumer Arts & Sciences Center of Excellence. It’s designed not only teach students about baking and pastry but also prepares graduates for leadership positions in the food industry. Courses range from safety and sanitation to bakery operations and management. For more information, visit hccs.edu/consumer-arts.