Lena Nguyen was bored, stuck at home during COVID, so the high schooler started experimenting in the kitchen. She found success with macarons. Initially, she gave away her creations to family and friends, but then they started asking her to bake for parties and events. 

“I like how you can be really experimental,” says Lena of why she enjoys baking. “You don’t have to follow a recipe. When I try following a recipe, I always end up changing it up a bit. Then the end product is unique to you. No one else will do the same thing.”

When her school reopened and she attended “club rush,” where students learn about each of the school’s clubs, she looked for a baking club. But there wasn’t one. So Lena decided to create one. As volunteer at Children’s Hospital of Orange County, Lena loves helping children. She learned about Icing Smiles through a Google search, and the mission immediately resonated with her. 

The next year at club rush, the Icing Smiles Club at Fountain Valley High School in California had its own table, and over 200 students expressed interest. “Icing Smiles brought a new experience or new view in volunteering and helping out the community,” Lena says. Seven people joined the board, with Lena, now a junior, as co-president. Their goal is to raise $1,000 for Icing Smiles. 

So far, the club has hosted a few bake sales at the school. To prep for the bake sale, Lena and her classmates gather in someone’s kitchen, turn on some music — usually Taylor Swift or Gracie Abrahms — and get baking. “We’re all having fun and seeing the joy in baking while raising money for a good cause,” she says. 

Through sales of Rice Krispies treats, brownies, mochi, and pizookies (a chocolate chip cookie baked in a skillet and then served with ice cream on top), the students have raised over $600. The club also takes orders for students’ upcoming birthdays, and the money from the cake sales is donated, too. “We’re trying to raise as much as we can for Icing Smiles,” Lena says. 

The club has had a positive impact on everyone involved. Some members have discovered a newfound love for baking, and Lena hopes to recruit more members who are interested in learning how to bake. 

Starting and running the club has been a learning experience for Lena as well. “It’s a huge responsibility,” she says. “I found it a really good experience in terms of leadership and event planning. It brought me more confidence.” 

Spreading Sweetness and Awareness

On the other side of the country, in Briarcliff Manor, New York, high schooler Maya Siegel was also using the pandemic to bake. “A lot of people didn’t want to go out, so I started selling from my house,” Maya says. But Maya wanted to do more than just bake, she wanted to bake a difference. 

Maya learned about Icing Smiles through her mom, who works at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital, and signed up to be a Sugar Angel. She’s created one Fun Cake for a medical family. Maya also donates 10% of the profits from her business, Maya Bakes, to Icing Smiles. 

“It’s amazing how much impact making cakes can have,” Maya says.

Inspired by the mission, Maya wanted to raise awareness of Icing Smiles among her peers. In February 2023, she officially formed an Icing Smiles club at Briarcliff High School. So far the students have created greeting cards for children in the organization and hosted a bake sale, raising about $150 for Icing Smiles. 

“It’s cool seeing a lot of people from my school coming together and being interested in something I am and something that’s important,” Maya says. “There are so many other people that seem passionate about it, too.”

Calling All High Schoolers

Student Smiles is the official high school volunteer program for Icing Smiles. We offer many ways for high schoolers to volunteer and gain valuable experience. 

Like Lena and Maya, students can plan fundraisers for Icing Smiles and create greeting cards for the children we serve. They can also spread the mission of Icing Smiles on social media and other online platforms. For example, Lena’s high school newspaper, the Baron News, wrote two stories about the Icing Smiles club at the high school. 

“We’ve seen the impact that high school clubs can have on students,” says Icing Smiles Assistant Director Karen Griffiths. “Not only do they provide an opportunity to pursue interests and passions, but they also allow for the development of important skills such as leadership, teamwork, and communication. The success of our Icing Smiles high school clubs is a testament to the power of student-driven initiatives and the incredible impact they can have on the community.”

Learn more about how you can help create more smiles today.