It didn’t take long for Alexandra Gonzalez to figure out Moraine Valley was the best place for her to continue her education. As a matter of fact, reaching that decision was a piece of cake.

She took all of her gen-ed classes at Blue Island and now is enrolled at the main campus in Palos Hills where she is working toward her Baking and Pastry, and Restaurant and Hotel Management associate in applied science degrees.

Alexandra hopes to secure a cake decorating job—something she’s enjoyed since she was a child. She got her start baking with her mom and grandmother when she was young and knew then this was the career for her.

She’s getting plenty of practice between her hands-on experiences in class and requests from family and friends. “I get asked all the time to bake for family parties, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and everybody’s birthdays,” she said. “I don’t mind. It is good practice.” In her spare time, Alexandra loves to try new and different ways of baking cakes. When she’s done, she gives them away to family and friends. “I don’t like cake, and I don’t eat it,” she said. “But I do love to make it.”

Her overall experiences have been positive, yet her decision to attend Moraine Valley is even sweeter for another reason. “It saved me a lot of money. I see my friends, and they all have loans. Me? I’m loan-free.”