From college dropout to realising baking dream

For students facing the uncertainty of Leaving Cert results, a young baker from County Kildare offers a message of hope: making the wrong decision is not the end of the world. Alice Kelly, who has amassed five million followers across her 'From Scratch Baker' social media accounts, is sharing her own story of navigating academic detours to find her passion.

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It is not the end of the world if they make the wrong decision or do not get the course they hoped for.

Kelly initially pursued a culinary arts degree, believing it was her dream. However, just two months into the course, she realized it wasn't the right path. She made the bold decision to drop out and took a minimum wage waitressing job. "It was one of the best things I did for myself because it gave me the time to think about what I really wanted to do with my life," she told RTÉ News.

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I went into working a minimum wage waitressing job after that, and it was one of the best things I did for myself because it gave me the time to think about what I really wanted to do with my life.

This period of reflection led Kelly to discover her true passion: baking. She is now on the verge of graduating with a degree in Baking and Pastry Arts Management from TU Dublin. "Going back to bakery school, I did have that worry that this wouldn't be right for me again. Am I making the decision to go back to college and I'm going to feel the same way? But thankfully it wasn't like that," she shared.

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Going back to bakery school, I did have that worry that this wouldn't be right for me again. Am I making the decision to go back to college and I'm going to feel the same way? But thankfully it wasn't like that.

Kelly's success story includes the publication of her first cookbook and a significant online presence. Her message to students is one of encouragement: "It's really not the end of the world if you make the wrong decision the first or second or third time around. There are always other options like PLCs, internships... If you know you've made the wrong decision, no one is as far ahead of you as you think, it's OK to stop and restart."

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It's really not the end of the world if you make the wrong decision the first or second or third time around. There are always other options like PLCs, internships ... If you know you've made the wrong decision, no one is as far ahead of you as you think, it's OK to stop and restart.