When I was growing up, I always knew why my friends wanted to come to my house on Friday afternoons. That was when my mom baked her famous mandelbread. Every family has its special food traditions. In my house, it was mandelbread, a traditional twice-baked Jewish cookie similar to biscotti. 

During college, between my psychology classes and volunteer work with “Best Buddies,” a club to create friendships between college students and community members with disabilities, I continued my mom’s baking tradition. My college apartment soon became the busy Friday afternoon spot, as I tweaked her recipe - a little cinnamon here, a dash of salt there. And, of course, I shared my love of baking with my “Best Buddy,” Debbie. 

Growing up with a cousin with a disability, I was acutely aware of how people with special needs were treated differently. It became my goal to work with this population through volunteering, job coaching, teaching cooking classes, and setting up students with internships.