SHS Students: Entrepreneurs in Action

Selma High School students have proven themselves to be innovative when it comes to honing their passions. One way students have done so is by creating their own businesses. Entrepreneurship runs rampant on the SHS campus, and the success of such small businesses is a testament to the work ethic and passion that these students wield into their craft. Below is a spotlight on a handful of these student businesses. 

Dripped N’ Drizzled by Ali: Alieze Cardenas 

On February 14, 2019 Dripped N’ Drizzled by Ali was born. Senior Alieze Cardenas was inspired to develop her business by the love for baking that always warmed her heart. She sells various bakes good for special occasions, such as parties, and those just craving something sweet. She was also inspired by the work of others, such as @drippedbykenn on Instagram, to make something out of her passions. 

Though with any business comes setbacks, and Cardenas is no stranger to the struggle. 

“Sometimes I struggle with time management and also having little to no orders at a time,” stated Cardenas. 

Cardenas hasn’t let these setbacks overtake her outlook, however, and instead chooses to remind herself why she started her business in the first place. 

“The best part about having my own business is satisfying my customers! It makes my heart happy when I get good feedback,” remarked Cardenas. 

Cardenas has put much time, effort, and love into her business, and wants to spread joy through the best way she knows, baking. Custom cakes for any occasion, chocolate covered strawberries, you name it and Alieze Cardenas can bake it! You can find her on Instagram @drippedndrizzledbyali

Destina’s Sweet Treats: Destina Solis 

From cakepops to carmel apples, Junior Destina Solis has got you covered. Solis has been passionately baking since the second grade and has worked to master her skills in the years since then. She decided to create Destina’s Sweet Treats on Feb 10, 2019 but started gaining much traction in May 2020. 

“When I was in fourth grade I sold cake pops as a school carnival vendor. Ever since, I’ve always made desserts and treats for occasions, parties or just to eat,” stated Solis. 

After the school closure, Solis took the opportunity to practice her skills and develop her business to meet the needs of her growing customers. 

“Being quarantined really was an opportunity for me to expand my business and grow. I spent time practicing and looking at different products to make my desserts look and taste better.”

As a student and cheerleader, Solis has been working to manage her time and obligations. 

“With having a business it comes with much responsibility and priorities. It has allowed me to be very independent and work till I reach my goal,” recalled Solis. 

Solis relishes in the feeling of making a sale, and brightening someone’s day with her products. 

“The best part of having my own business would be seeing how happy my customers get when they receive their desserts. It makes me so happy that I can make someone’s day just by a dessert,”

Destina can be found on Instagram @destinas_sweettreats

PJ’s Apples: Pamela Hernandez 

Senior Pamela Hernandez created her business PJ’s Apple’s with her boyfriend, Jesus Aguilera, three weeks ago. Together they sell caramel, chamoy, and cheesecake apples. 

Hernandez enjoys baking with Jesus, and thought this was the perfect way to create something valuable and capable of spreading her passions. 

“What inspired me to create my business is my passion for making cute treats and spreading joy,” remarked Hernandez. 

Hernandez had been sitting on this idea for weeks and spent her time researching ways to efficiently start her own business. 

“I developed my business by looking up new recipes and by trying to recreate others I’d seen online,” stated Hernandez. 

Though PJ’s Apples is relatively young, Hernandez has faced some initial challenges. 

“Some struggles I have faced is not receiving as many customers as I’ve hoped for or having chocolate that doesn’t want to stick to the apple,” remarked Hernandez. 

All in all, Hernandez has been learning from these obstacles and experiences and hopes to develop her joint business so that she can cater to a larger customer base in the future. 

“The best part is having the opportunity to do this business with my boyfriend and being able to do cute treats,” stated Hernandez. 

You can find PJ’s Apples on Instagram @pjsapples. 

Plaza and Co : Jasmine Plaza 

Senior Jasmine Plaza has always enjoyed making various crafts and exploring different ways to beautify everyday objects. This passion led Plaza to start her own craft business, Plaza N Co, in June 2020. Plaza N Co customizes items such as travel cups, wine glasses, and even shirts! 

“I was inspired to start my small business by seeing others succeed and wanting that success for myself,” remarked Plaza.  

Plaza believes that hard work and determination are the keys to success, but self- doubt is the thing that often stands in the way of the thing people want most. 

“Everyone wants to be successful, but it won’t happen if you don’t start anything that will fear you towards success,” voiced Plaza. 

Plaza’s business was born after receiving many inquiries about her crafts on her personal social media accounts.

“From there I received messages asking if I made personalized items and then I started an Instagram page.” 

The upswing proved to be successful and rewarding, but Plaza also faced the inevitable obstacles balancing school and a business. These obstacles only further motivated Plaza to organize her business more effectively, so that she could relish in the inherent value she got from making crafts for others. 

“The best part about running a business is the interaction you have with others. You are helping people out and meeting a variety of people in the process. You learn a lot in the process from not only running the business but from meeting others,” pronounced Plaza. 

You can find Plaza N Co on Instagram @plaza_n_co

LDN LLC: Oswaldo Landin 

Senior Ozzie Landin runs multiple businesses including a Record Label, Media Marketing Agency, & E-Commerce, all under one LLC. 

“I was Inspired to create my business from the passion of music. I grew up with the culture and I saw that vast success put on by these artists. I knew I could do the same, if not better,” remarked Landin

This led Landin to learn the ins & outs of the music industry, and ultimately to creating his own media agency.

“It tied together so perfectly so it was almost no hassle. The E-Commerce side of things is still in development, and that’s all I can really say about that,” declared Landin. 

By developing his businesses one step at a time and by valuing long term wealth, Landin has kept his priorities in line. He’s made sure to learn the music softwares and tips, and upgrade equipment as often as possible. 

“Along with this was learning music theory & understanding the art of cadences. Following modern and popular trends benefitted both the Music & Media Agency,” mentioned Landin. 

Landin has faced a lot of struggles throughout this whole journey, with finances being the main one. 

“I was fortunate enough to teach myself (and still learning) the rules of finance, and how to master the dollar,” declared the business owner. 

Despite these seemingly complex dealings, Landin finds his work to be the most rewarding. 

“The best part about owning my own businesses would be the fact I enjoy what I do. Stress could say otherwise, but I’d much rather build something of value, than go build it for someone else,” voiced Landin.

The student-entrepreneur proves to live and run his business by the wisdom from his favorite quote by Drake, “I can’t do that normal type of life is it just me?”

You can find LDN LLC on Instagram @ldnfirm

Gallery • 9 Photos

Alize with one of her cakes!