Smart Cookies: Baking entrepreneur is angel behind innovative scholarship program Smart Cookies: Baking entrepreneur is angel behind innovative scholarship program (December 24, 2003)

By John Flood

Special to the Almanac

Eighteen months ago, Gabina Velazquez of East Palo Alto was pregnant, single, working fulltime and trying to keep up with her coursework at Canada College.

But the 22-year-old native of Mexico -- a member of the first generation in her family to graduate from high school -- was finding it difficult to pursue her dream to be a nurse. Juggling work, school and pregnancy was taking its toll.

Fourteen years ago, Karen Trilevsky, a shy high school dropout, baked pastries in a borrowed space in the kitchen at Hobee's restaurant in Palo Alto. Exhausted from baking all night, she napped on flour sacks until dawn, when she took her pastries to local restaurants and coffee shops, hoping to find customers.

Ms. Trilevsky, 46, now runs Full Bloom Baking Co., a wholesale bakery in Menlo Park with 180 employees and 600 clients, including Starbucks.

And today, Ms. Velazquez is raising her 1-year-old daughter while attending Canada College on a full scholarship and focusing her energy on getting into San Francisco State University.

Ms. Velazquez and 21 other students are intricately linked to Ms. Trilevsky in a story that even Charles Dickens could take a page from.

It has all the hallmarks of a tale well known yet rarely experienced by many middle-class Americans: of the humble beginnings of Latino immigrants who hang tough in California; an unexpected human kindness; and a chance to start anew.
A helping hand

Several years ago, Ms. Trilevsky noticed that some of the employees at her wholesale baking firm -- many of them Latino immigrants -- had reached a plateau in their careers.

"Many of my employees are talented and intelligent. But they lack formal education," says Ms. Trilevsky. "The truth is, it is never going to get better for them. Their skills aren't transferable. I found it sad that this was all my employees could ever hope to do."

Recognizing the power of higher education, Ms. Trilevsky began to look for ways to help students who needed financial assistance.

She eventually met Rosa Perez, president of Canada College, who was not only the first one in her family to graduate from high school, but who also graduated from Stanford University -- thanks to a four-year academic scholarship program.

Ms. Perez was more than a sympathetic ear for Ms. Trilevsky. She was an ardent supporter of her dream to help local kids.

"In the 30 years that I've been in higher education, I've never come across anyone like Karen Trilevsky with such a strong commitment to high-risk kids," she says.

And so, with the support of Ms. Perez, the Smart Cookie Scholars Program was born -- a scholarship designed to help first-generation immigrants in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties get the education they need.

Ms. Perez says the scholarship program is one of the best she's seen. Tailored to the needs of the individual student, the program pays for tuition, fees, books, laptop PCs, bus fare, lunch coupons, and even child care, says Ms. Perez. If the student needs assistance in other areas, it's provided, she says.

"Karen's only requirement is that the students keep moving toward their goals," says Ms. Perez.

Today, the Smart Cookie program is providing financial assistance to 22 students at Canada College, Mission College, San Francisco State University, and San Jose State University.

But it's not just about throwing money at a problem. Ms. Trilevsky invests her own time with the students.

"Karen continues to be a busy CEO and she still has time to stay in contact with 22 students through e-mail," says Ms. Perez.

"They check in with me electronically once a week with a template that summarizes their attendance and quizzes," says Ms. Trilevsky.

Canada College provides tutors, academic counselors and a variety of support programs.

And to ensure that the students are on track academically, there are weekly and monthly meetings with Smart Cookie board members. Ms. Trilevsky attends, says Ms. Perez.
Students give back

Each student is required to take part in 20 hours of community service activities per semester.

"Volunteer efforts are a part of the program," says Ms. Trilevksy. "We try to establish the importance of giving back."

"I volunteer at the Fair Oaks Library in Redwood City," says Ms. Velazquez. "I help children in the third grade with math and homework. The Smart Cookie program gives us help; we help others, too."
What's at stake

For many young Latinos, graduating from high school is far from certain. In fact, many don't.

Language barriers, the status quo and social pressure to stay put are common, says Ms. Trilevsky.

"These kids don't get exposed to college preparatory classes and they don't know to ask and the parents aren't savvy enough to guide them," she says. "Many of the parents don't know how to read a report card because it's in English."
Student progress

"I'm moved by the increased degree of confidence among these students," says Ms. Perez. "All of them are progressing academically and there are a remarkable number of A's. I'm a witness to their maturation."

And Karen Trilevsky confirms the student progress: "Their confidence has shot up; they are doing very well in academics; and they understand what they are doing."

"In the initial interviews with the board, their eyes were focused on the floor; they hardly shook hands; they were inarticulate and shy," she says. "After one semester, they are totally different kids. They practically dance in the door to meet us."

Smart Cookie Scholars: What students say

For Sergio Ruiz, 20, of Fremont, the Smart Cookie Program enables him to pursue a career in computer engineering.

"I graduated from Union City High School and worked for a year," says Mr. Ruiz, who was born in Mexico City. "Then I started at Canada College because of the Smart Cookie Program."

And it's working well.

"We meet every month and talk about our achievements and goals," he says. "If we have problems, we get support. I know all the tutors and they know us. If we don't understand something, they are there to help us."

For Ana Ruiz, 19, of Fremont, she can now pursue her dream to be an elementary school teacher.

"I like everything about the program," says Ms. Ruiz, a native of Mexico City. "They pay for everything. I can keep up my grades because of the tutors."

Gabina Velazquez maintains a "B" average and has been able to cut down on her working hours. And she stays inspired.

"Once a month they bring in a guest speaker to motivate us," she says. "Sometimes the speaker is Latino. They tell us that if they can do it, so can we."

Ms. Trilevsky tries to help students succeed in anything they have a dream in, says Ms. Velazquez. "Most of us Latinos are the first ones to go to college. We want to be teachers, engineers, lawyers, and business people."

"Karen is like an angel sent to us."

By John Flood

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