Working hard, dreaming big and learning as she went made one Killeen-area baker a star.
Lily Halabi of Lily’s Cakes, now appearing again on a reality baking show, encouraged Peebles Elementary School students on Thursday that big effort can have big results.
In two sessions in the school cafeteria, Halabi explained that she grew up in Venezuela and attended Central Texas College where she earned a business degree.
Always a fan of food and baking, she started seriously perfecting her skills 15 years ago and once she developed a clientele, opened a shop in her home.
In 2017, the driven, creative baker earned a spot on the Food Network’s Cake Wars and won the competition. The local resident followed that with a victory in Holiday Wars in 2018 and a second-place finish in Halloween Wars in 2021.
Currently, Halabi appears on a Hulu production called Cake Toppers.
She told elements of her story as she put the finishing touches on a butter cake she was forming to look like a mummy.
As she answered questions, teachers handed out tiny balls of fondant. The baker guided students to form miniature roses from the sugary orbs.
“It brings back memories when I was their age and I always remember. They will go home and talk about this and they will remember. I have kids who come up to me and remember me coming to their school,” she said.
“This is an important age. Anything you give them they will absorb. Why not give them something they can actually do and have fun with. You can take something you love and make something of it as an entrepreneur. I tell them perseverance and hard work is what you need.”
Television has opened up new business opportunities for her. In addition to Lily’s Cakes, she operates the Acropolis restaurant as well as an area wedding venue.
“I feel like I can inspire kids to do what they like and enjoy,” she said, noting that being a role model for girls is especially rewarding.
Peebles counselor Vanessa Trejo has revamped the school’s traditional career day, introducing students to a wide variety of careers throughout the year and hosting monthly special guests.
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