Gabrielle Branner, a Senior at Cosumnes Oaks High School Culinary Arts Academy in Elk Grove, California, was recently accepted into Bachelors in Bakery and Pastry Arts Program at The Culinary Institute of America located in Hyde Park, New York. Even with the support of a single parent with two siblings, she continues to strive for excellence in academics, community activism, and pastry art. She always endeavors to make her mom (Prena Branner) and family proud.

Pastry Chef: At just three years old, Gabrielle’s journey to become a pastry chef began with the support of her mom and grandmother. They made sure she had enough cake mix, cookie mix, and brownie mix that fueled the joy she felt when baking. Gabrielle’s passion for baking grew and with the little funds her mom sacrificed to finance her baking fever, she began experimenting on her own and found even more happiness in creating pastries from scratch. This passion to become a pastry chef made her decision to leave friends behind easy to pursue her dream and attend Cosumnes Oaks High School Culinary Arts Academy. 

Honors and Award: Gabrielle maintains a 4.4 GPA. She continues to obtain academic excellence, never missing a day of school and earning only A’s while holding a place on the Honor Roll. She was a member of the National Elementary Honor Society, the National Junior Honor Society, and is currently a member of the National Honor Society. Gabrielle has received both a presidential award and a pioneering spirit plaque. She has also learned to speak fluent Japanese.

Community Activism: Gabrielle has dedicated over 100 hours to community service.  She participated as a volunteer for the National Junior Honor Society’s (NJHS) math tutoring, school gardening and jeans for teens projects; National Honor Society’s (NHS) food banks and elementary school projects, as well as participated at events for MLK 365 and A Different Path non-profit organizations.

Gabrielle has dreamed of attending The Culinary Institute of America since she was a freshman. She has worked hard to position herself to be considered for acceptance. Her hard work paid off and the opportunity to manifest her dream has presented itself.

 Although Gabrielle received FAFSA and a scholarship, her tuition is more than her mom can afford. Our family has established a GoFundMe Fundraiser to support Gabrielle with tuition and fees for the 2020/2021 academic year. The deadline for submission is August 7, 2021.

We are eternally grateful for any donation!  Thank you so much for your consideration.