While some prefer to fake it ‘till they make it, senior Maxine Torrez bakes it. With a piping bag in hand and a pen in the other, this spirited student is icing her way through the first-tier foundations of the dessert business world. Raised in a Hispanic household where love was sweet as sugar, this soft spot for her family prompted her journey to the strawberry lane of Maxine’s Treats.
If you were a dessert, what would you be? For Torrez, she would choose to be a bowl of cinnamon-glazed churros. “It’s a Mexican dessert,” she explained. “It always brings me back home.” Before her achievements, Torrez faced obstacles relating to her background. “Being automatically talked to in Spanish as a bilingual was upsetting,” she voiced. Despite these interactions, Torrez highlighted, “I used these experiences to rewrite my story, to break stereotypes.” To amplify her rich roots, she helped establish the Hispanic Culture Club by being an officer since 2023 and its president this year, spreading appreciation for one’s heritage among the underclassmen.
According to the University of California, Los Angeles Latino Policy and Politics Institute, Latino-owned employer businesses were twice as likely to be male-owned than female-owned in Texas. Only 25% of businesses were by women. Regardless, “si se puede”, which translates to “yes, you can”, is a mantra from her mother that keeps her going. Her ethics in business management, school, and other life aspects are influenced by this motivation.
Roses are red, but the Instagram page of Maxine’s Treats features a pastel pink feed instead. Drawing inspiration from her heart’s desire to start something valuable, it was back in August 2023 when she first posted cow-themed strawberries coated in white chocolate. From then on, her career in customizing treats skyrocketed as she gained 1,570 followers, 263,150 total views in her reels and 200 loyal customers. Her products are not limited to chocolate-covered strawberries—she also sells desserts such as Rice Krispies, pretzels, cake pops and cupcakes. Torrez’s growth in designing her goods is astonishing; she went from recreating classic drizzling techniques with common chocolate colors to crafting her own styles with rainbow-hued chocolates.
To add a cherry on top, incorporating her culture isn’t only for the walls of Lamar; it goes beyond a shortcake box, reaching entrepreneurship and values. Torrez’s well-roundedness is further illustrated by her academic excellence and athletic performance. Not only is she a student-leader, cross country runner and business owner, she found a way to unite the Christian community as well. The Faithful Market is a seasonal Houston-based pop-up market where Christian vendors bond in selling merchandise like dresses, jewelry, pins and keychains. She emphasized its unifying mission and stated, “It’s a place for everyone to come together, to make friends and lasting memories.”
As she preserves this purposeful flavor, her next target is aimed towards her college applications. Torrez is eyeing a bachelor’s degree in business, and she plans to take it to another layer by getting a master’s degree in the future. Through discipline, healthy habits and with immeasurable support from her loved ones, Torrez has been continuously working on her interests while serving back to other people. Instead of being overwhelmed by her goals, she embraced being the epitome of letting one’s dreams turn into reality.
At first glance, her passion projects seem out of reach for many teenagers. However, it’s important to remember that there is no overnight success. Similar to a “perfect” cake, it requires the right ingredients, several cups of effort and a lengthy baking time. The heat of challenges will be there, but with a mix of patience and care, everything will come out golden and fruitful.
