{"id":103470,"date":"2024-07-31T10:39:57","date_gmt":"2024-07-31T14:39:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/?p=103470"},"modified":"2024-07-31T13:17:20","modified_gmt":"2024-07-31T17:17:20","slug":"just-desserts-umw-alum-cooks-up-success-on-reality-baking-show","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2024\/07\/31\/just-desserts-umw-alum-cooks-up-success-on-reality-baking-show\/","title":{"rendered":"Just Desserts: UMW Alum Cooks Up Success on Reality Baking Show"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_103465\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-103465\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"103465\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/great-american-baking-show-season-2-3\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/GABS_S2_230811_MF_3209_R1-scaled.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1707\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;8&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Matt Frost&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS R&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1691753548&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;\\u00a92023 Purple Tag Originals, LLC.&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;95&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;1000&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.005&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Great American Baking Show Season 2&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;UMW alumna Jenn Reyes &amp;#8217;99 shares a laugh with &amp;#8216;The Great American Baking Show&amp;#8217; judge Prue Leith. A dentist in New York, Reyes has a sweet tooth and a penchant for baking that won her a spot on the show, now streaming on Roku.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/GABS_S2_230811_MF_3209_R1-300x200.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/GABS_S2_230811_MF_3209_R1-1024x683.jpg\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-103465\" src=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/GABS_S2_230811_MF_3209_R1-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"UMW alumna Jenn Reyes '99 shares a laugh with 'The Great American Baking Show' judge Prue Leith. A dentist in New York, Reyes has a sweet tooth and a penchant for baking that won her a spot on the show, now streaming on Roku.\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/GABS_S2_230811_MF_3209_R1-300x200.jpg 300w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/GABS_S2_230811_MF_3209_R1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/GABS_S2_230811_MF_3209_R1-768x512.jpg 768w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/GABS_S2_230811_MF_3209_R1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/GABS_S2_230811_MF_3209_R1-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-103465\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mary Washington alumna Jenn Reyes &#8217;99 shares a laugh with &#8216;The Great American Baking Show&#8217; judge Prue Leith. A dentist in New York, Reyes has a sweet tooth and a penchant for baking that won her a spot on the show, now streaming on Roku.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>When life after college took dining hall meals and her mother\u2019s home cooking off the table, Jenn Reyes said, a pound of necessity and a pinch of desire led to a love of baking. \u201cI could learn how to roast a chicken, but I\u2019d rather know how to make a cake,\u201d said Reyes, a New York City dentist who graduated from Mary Washington in 1999. \u201cI\u2019ve always had a sweet tooth.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Not the most expected trait in her line of work, but mixed with her interests and skills \u2013 including majors in psychology and Italian \u2013 it was a recipe for something delicious. Now Reyes is showcasing her culinary creations as a contestant on <em>The Great American Baking Show<\/em>, streaming on Roku. And like her Georgia On My Mind sweet buns \u2013 stuffed with peach jam and roasted pecans, and topped with bourbon caramel sauce \u2013 deemed \u201cdelicious\u201d by the judges, her path proves that anything\u2019s possible when it starts with a solid foundation.<\/p>\n<p>Growing up in the Peach State, Reyes dabbled in the kitchen, baking beignets from a Disney World cookbook with her twin sister. She was in high school when their father\u2019s job took him to Washington, D.C., and Reyes\u2019 college search turned to Virginia and to Mary Washington. \u201cYou can actually know everyone in your class, and the professors can get to know you,\u201d she said of UMW, where she performed in the orchestra, worked for the James Farmer Multicultural Center and studied abroad.<\/p>\n<div class=\"tiled-gallery type-rectangular tiled-gallery-unresized\" data-original-width=\"1100\" data-carousel-extra='{&quot;blog_id&quot;:7,&quot;permalink&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/2024\\\/07\\\/31\\\/just-desserts-umw-alum-cooks-up-success-on-reality-baking-show\\\/&quot;,&quot;likes_blog_id&quot;:230672515}' itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageGallery\" > <div class=\"gallery-row\" style=\"width: 1100px; height: 921px;\" data-original-width=\"1100\" data-original-height=\"921\" > <div class=\"gallery-group images-1\" style=\"width: 692px; height: 921px;\" data-original-width=\"692\" data-original-height=\"921\" > <div class=\"tiled-gallery-item tiled-gallery-item-large\" itemprop=\"associatedMedia\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/img_4699\/\" border=\"0\" itemprop=\"url\"> <meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"688\"> <meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"917\"> <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" data-attachment-id=\"103460\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/IMG_4699-scaled.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1920,2560\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;1.8&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;iPhone SE (2nd generation)&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1718653240&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;3.99&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;500&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0333333333333&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/IMG_4699-225x300.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/IMG_4699-768x1024.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/IMG_4699-scaled.jpg?w=688&#038;h=917&#038;ssl=1\" srcset=\"\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/IMG_4699-scaled.jpg 1920w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/IMG_4699-225x300.jpg 225w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/IMG_4699-768x1024.jpg 768w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/IMG_4699-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/IMG_4699-1536x2048.jpg 1536w\" width=\"688\" height=\"917\" loading=\"lazy\" data-original-width=\"688\" data-original-height=\"917\" itemprop=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/image\" title=\"\" alt=\"Jenn Reyes &#039;99 was cast as a contestant on &#039;The Great American Baking Show,&#039; now streaming on Roku. She&#039;s seen here in her senior portrait at Mary Washington, where her favorite class was orchestra and her efforts on violin won her a scholarship. Reyes&#039; now plays violin with the New York Repertory Orchestra.\" style=\"width: 688px; height: 917px;\" \/> <\/a> <div class=\"tiled-gallery-caption\" itemprop=\"caption description\"> Jenn Reyes &#8217;99 was cast as a contestant on &#8216;The Great American Baking Show,&#8217; now streaming on Roku. She&#8217;s seen here in her senior portrait at Mary Washington, where her favorite class was orchestra and her efforts on violin won her a scholarship. Reyes&#8217; now plays violin with the New York Repertory Orchestra. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <!-- close group --> <div class=\"gallery-group images-3\" style=\"width: 408px; height: 921px;\" data-original-width=\"408\" data-original-height=\"921\" > <div class=\"tiled-gallery-item tiled-gallery-item-large\" itemprop=\"associatedMedia\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/img_4702\/\" border=\"0\" itemprop=\"url\"> <meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"404\"> <meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"303\"> <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" data-attachment-id=\"103462\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/IMG_4702-scaled.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1920\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;1.8&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;iPhone SE (2nd generation)&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1718653580&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;3.99&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;320&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.025&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/IMG_4702-300x225.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/IMG_4702-1024x768.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/IMG_4702-scaled.jpg?w=404&#038;h=303&#038;ssl=1\" srcset=\"\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/IMG_4702-scaled.jpg 2560w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/IMG_4702-300x225.jpg 300w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/IMG_4702-1024x768.jpg 1024w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/IMG_4702-768x576.jpg 768w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/IMG_4702-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/IMG_4702-2048x1536.jpg 2048w\" width=\"404\" height=\"303\" loading=\"lazy\" data-original-width=\"404\" data-original-height=\"303\" itemprop=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/image\" title=\"\" alt=\"Jenn Reyes (left) on graduation day with her Mary Washington BFF, Liz, with whom she&#039;s still close. On campus, Reyes enjoyed spending time at the Simpson Library; the computer lab in Chandler Hall, where the Cedric Rucker University Center now stands; and the fountain in front of Monroe Hall.\" style=\"width: 404px; height: 303px;\" \/> <\/a> <div class=\"tiled-gallery-caption\" itemprop=\"caption description\"> Jenn Reyes (left) on graduation day with her Mary Washington BFF, Liz, with whom she&#8217;s still close. On campus, Reyes enjoyed spending time at the Simpson Library; the computer lab in Chandler Hall, where the Cedric Rucker University Center now stands; and the fountain in front of Monroe Hall. <\/div> <\/div> <div class=\"tiled-gallery-item tiled-gallery-item-large\" itemprop=\"associatedMedia\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/img_4697\/\" border=\"0\" itemprop=\"url\"> <meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"404\"> <meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"303\"> <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" data-attachment-id=\"103458\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/IMG_4697-scaled.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1920\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;1.8&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;iPhone SE (2nd generation)&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1718653059&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;3.99&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;640&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0333333333333&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/IMG_4697-300x225.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/IMG_4697-1024x768.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/IMG_4697-scaled.jpg?w=404&#038;h=303&#038;ssl=1\" srcset=\"\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/IMG_4697-scaled.jpg 2560w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/IMG_4697-300x225.jpg 300w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/IMG_4697-1024x768.jpg 1024w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/IMG_4697-768x576.jpg 768w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/IMG_4697-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/IMG_4697-2048x1536.jpg 2048w\" width=\"404\" height=\"303\" loading=\"lazy\" data-original-width=\"404\" data-original-height=\"303\" itemprop=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/image\" title=\"\" alt=\"JJenn Reyes &#039;99 (right) with Becca Greene in Reyes&#039; room in Willard Hall, where she lived as a sophomore and junior.\" style=\"width: 404px; height: 303px;\" \/> <\/a> <div class=\"tiled-gallery-caption\" itemprop=\"caption description\"> Jenn Reyes &#8217;99 (right) with Becca Greene in Reyes&#8217; room in Willard Hall, where she lived as a sophomore and junior. <\/div> <\/div> <div class=\"tiled-gallery-item tiled-gallery-item-large\" itemprop=\"associatedMedia\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/img_4696\/\" border=\"0\" itemprop=\"url\"> <meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"404\"> <meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"303\"> <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" data-attachment-id=\"103457\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/IMG_4696-scaled.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1920\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;1.8&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;iPhone SE (2nd generation)&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1718653043&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;3.99&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;640&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0333333333333&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/IMG_4696-300x225.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/IMG_4696-1024x768.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/IMG_4696-scaled.jpg?w=404&#038;h=303&#038;ssl=1\" srcset=\"\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/IMG_4696-scaled.jpg 2560w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/IMG_4696-300x225.jpg 300w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/IMG_4696-1024x768.jpg 1024w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/IMG_4696-768x576.jpg 768w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/IMG_4696-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/IMG_4696-2048x1536.jpg 2048w\" width=\"404\" height=\"303\" loading=\"lazy\" data-original-width=\"404\" data-original-height=\"303\" itemprop=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/image\" title=\"\" alt=\"Jenn Reyes &#039;99 (center) poses with fellow Willard Hall residents. Reyes studied psychology and Italian at Mary Washington, where her favorite professors included a trio of psychology professors - the late Topher Bill, as well as Christine McBride and David Kolar.\" style=\"width: 404px; height: 303px;\" \/> <\/a> <div class=\"tiled-gallery-caption\" itemprop=\"caption description\"> Jenn Reyes &#8217;99 (center) poses with fellow Willard Hall residents. Reyes studied psychology and Italian at Mary Washington, where her favorite faculty members included a trio of psychology professors &#8211; the late Topher Bill, as well as Christine McBride and David Kolar. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <!-- close group --> <\/div> <!-- close row --> <div class=\"gallery-row\" style=\"width: 1100px; height: 826px;\" data-original-width=\"1100\" data-original-height=\"826\" > <div class=\"gallery-group images-1\" style=\"width: 1100px; height: 826px;\" data-original-width=\"1100\" data-original-height=\"826\" > <div class=\"tiled-gallery-item tiled-gallery-item-large\" itemprop=\"associatedMedia\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/img_4701\/\" border=\"0\" itemprop=\"url\"> <meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"1096\"> <meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"822\"> <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" data-attachment-id=\"103461\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/IMG_4701-scaled.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1920\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;1.8&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;iPhone SE (2nd generation)&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1718653508&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;3.99&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;400&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0333333333333&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/IMG_4701-300x225.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/IMG_4701-1024x768.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/IMG_4701-scaled.jpg?w=1096&#038;h=822&#038;ssl=1\" srcset=\"\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/IMG_4701-scaled.jpg 2560w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/IMG_4701-300x225.jpg 300w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/IMG_4701-1024x768.jpg 1024w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/IMG_4701-768x576.jpg 768w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/IMG_4701-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/IMG_4701-2048x1536.jpg 2048w\" width=\"1096\" height=\"822\" loading=\"lazy\" data-original-width=\"1096\" data-original-height=\"822\" itemprop=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/image\" title=\"\" alt=\"Jenn Reyes &#039;99 (second from left) poses during her Mary Washington days during a summer study abroad program that combined the disciplines of Italian and art. Reyes&#039; love of baking won her a spot as a contestant on &#039;The Great American Baking Show,&#039; now streaming on Roku.\" style=\"width: 1096px; height: 822px;\" \/> <\/a> <div class=\"tiled-gallery-caption\" itemprop=\"caption description\"> Jenn Reyes &#8217;99 (second from left) poses during her Mary Washington days during a summer study abroad program that combined the disciplines of Italian and art. Reyes&#8217; love of baking won her a spot as a contestant on &#8216;The Great American Baking Show,&#8217; now streaming on Roku. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <!-- close group --> <\/div> <!-- close row --> <\/div>\n<p>She was a senior when her younger sister fell ill, and the experience got her thinking about a career in healthcare. She shadowed workers in various professions, deciding on dentistry and earning a spot in dental school at Columbia University. Around the same time, Reyes started baking \u2013 cookies and cakes, pastries and pies, brownies and breads. \u201cIt\u2019s something people are really impressed by,\u201d she said, \u201cbut it isn\u2019t really difficult to do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Building a dental practice in the Big Apple proved stressful, though, and a friend suggested <em>The Great British Baking Show<\/em> might help her unwind. Reyes was hooked, and when the international contest came to the states, she applied to be part of it, sending in photos and video first, then baking a cranberry-apple caramel pie and catching an Uber to a downtown audition.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_103464\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-103464\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"103464\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2024\/07\/31\/just-desserts-umw-alum-cooks-up-success-on-reality-baking-show\/great-american-baking-show-season-2-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/GABS_S2_230810_MF_2182_R2-scaled.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1706\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;11&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Matt Frost&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS R&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1691691466&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;\\u00a92023 Purple Tag Originals, LLC.&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;55&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;1600&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.005&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Great American Baking Show Season 2&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Mary Washington alumna Jenn Reyes &amp;#8217;99 (third from right) poses with fellow contestants on the set &amp;#8216;The Great American Baking  Show,&amp;#8217; filmed under the signature pavilion-style tent at Pinewood Studios in London. Reyes&amp;#8217; kept her eyes on the prize during the six-episode competition, including being watchful for bugs, one of the baking hazards of filming inside a tent.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/GABS_S2_230810_MF_2182_R2-300x200.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/GABS_S2_230810_MF_2182_R2-1024x682.jpg\" class=\"wp-image-103464 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/GABS_S2_230810_MF_2182_R2-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"Mary Washington alumna Jenn Reyes '99 (fourth from right) poses with fellow contestants on the set 'The Great American Baking Show,' filmed under the signature pavilion-style tent at Pinewood Studios in London. Reyes' kept her eyes on the prize during the six-episode competition, including being watchful for bugs, one of the baking hazards of filming inside a tent.\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" srcset=\"\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/GABS_S2_230810_MF_2182_R2-1024x682.jpg 1024w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/GABS_S2_230810_MF_2182_R2-300x200.jpg 300w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/GABS_S2_230810_MF_2182_R2-768x512.jpg 768w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/GABS_S2_230810_MF_2182_R2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/GABS_S2_230810_MF_2182_R2-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-103464\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mary Washington alumna Jenn Reyes &#8217;99 (fourth from right) poses with fellow contestants on the set of &#8216;The Great American Baking Show,&#8217; filmed under the signature pavilion-style tent at Pinewood Studios in London. Reyes&#8217; kept her eyes on the prize during the six-episode competition, including being watchful for bugs, one of the baking hazards of filming inside a tent.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Her efforts won her a casting call via Zoom and a trial run in L.A., where a recipe she\u2019s unable to reveal per show rules sealed her spot on the six-episode program, filmed at Pinewood Studios in London. There, Reyes practiced her baking in a top-floor apartment with a skylight and no AC. \u201cIt did get pretty toasty,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>On set, she stayed cool, monitoring competitors\u2019 progress against her own and schmoozing with show producers, hosts Casey Wilson and Zach Cherry, and judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/TRC_RO_GABS_703_16x9_PR-Clip_Casey-Jenn-laughing.mp4\">(Watch the short clip!)<\/a> She sailed through Cake Week and Cookie Week, churning out decadent dishes like \u201cBoomerang Bars,\u201d with macadamia shortbread and vegemite caramel, and \u201cDark and Stormy Ginger Cake,\u201d soaked with rum and ginger-beer syrup, and topped with candied limes.<\/p>\n<div class=\"tiled-gallery type-rectangular tiled-gallery-unresized\" data-original-width=\"1100\" data-carousel-extra='{&quot;blog_id&quot;:7,&quot;permalink&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/2024\\\/07\\\/31\\\/just-desserts-umw-alum-cooks-up-success-on-reality-baking-show\\\/&quot;,&quot;likes_blog_id&quot;:230672515}' itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageGallery\" > <div class=\"gallery-row\" style=\"width: 1100px; height: 337px;\" data-original-width=\"1100\" data-original-height=\"337\" > <div class=\"gallery-group images-1\" style=\"width: 503px; height: 337px;\" data-original-width=\"503\" data-original-height=\"337\" > <div class=\"tiled-gallery-item tiled-gallery-item-large\" itemprop=\"associatedMedia\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2024\/07\/31\/just-desserts-umw-alum-cooks-up-success-on-reality-baking-show\/great-american-baking-show-season-2\/\" border=\"0\" itemprop=\"url\"> <meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"499\"> <meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"333\"> <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" data-attachment-id=\"103463\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/GABS_S2_230810_MF_0018_R1-1-scaled.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1707\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;6.3&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Matt Frost&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS-1D X Mark II&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1691649309&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;\\u00a92023 Purple Tag Originals, LLC.&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;150&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;160&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.002&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Great American Baking Show Season 2&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/GABS_S2_230810_MF_0018_R1-1-300x200.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/GABS_S2_230810_MF_0018_R1-1-1024x683.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/GABS_S2_230810_MF_0018_R1-1-scaled.jpg?w=499&#038;h=333&#038;ssl=1\" srcset=\"\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/GABS_S2_230810_MF_0018_R1-1-scaled.jpg 2560w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/GABS_S2_230810_MF_0018_R1-1-300x200.jpg 300w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/GABS_S2_230810_MF_0018_R1-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/GABS_S2_230810_MF_0018_R1-1-768x512.jpg 768w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/GABS_S2_230810_MF_0018_R1-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/GABS_S2_230810_MF_0018_R1-1-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" width=\"499\" height=\"333\" loading=\"lazy\" data-original-width=\"499\" data-original-height=\"333\" itemprop=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/image\" title=\"\" alt=\"Jenn Reyes &#039;99 (far left) walks onto the set with fellow contestants during the first episode of season two of &#039;The Great American Baking Show.&#039; During &#039;Cake Week,&#039; Reyes baked a confection recalling the classic cartoon &#039;The Smurfs.&#039; &#039;I hope I can smurfin\u2019 finish this in smurfin\u2019 time,&#039; she says on the show.\" style=\"width: 499px; height: 333px;\" \/> <\/a> <div class=\"tiled-gallery-caption\" itemprop=\"caption description\"> Jenn Reyes &#8217;99 (far left) walks onto the set with fellow contestants during the first episode of season two of &#8216;The Great American Baking Show.&#8217; During &#8216;Cake Week,&#8217; Reyes baked a confection recalling the classic cartoon &#8216;The Smurfs.&#8217; &#8216;I hope I can smurfin\u2019 finish this in smurfin\u2019 time,&#8217; she says on the show. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <!-- close group --> <div class=\"gallery-group images-1\" style=\"width: 597px; height: 337px;\" data-original-width=\"597\" data-original-height=\"337\" > <div class=\"tiled-gallery-item tiled-gallery-item-large\" itemprop=\"associatedMedia\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/screenshot-2024-07-30-at-4-13-06-pm\/\" border=\"0\" itemprop=\"url\"> <meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"593\"> <meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"333\"> <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" data-attachment-id=\"103468\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/Screenshot-2024-07-30-at-4.13.06\u202fPM.png\" data-orig-size=\"2172,1220\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/Screenshot-2024-07-30-at-4.13.06\u202fPM-300x169.png\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/Screenshot-2024-07-30-at-4.13.06\u202fPM-1024x575.png\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/07\/Screenshot-2024-07-30-at-4.13.06%E2%80%AFPM.png?w=593&#038;h=333&#038;ssl=1\" width=\"593\" height=\"333\" loading=\"lazy\" data-original-width=\"593\" data-original-height=\"333\" itemprop=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/image\" title=\"\" alt=\"Jenn Reyes &#039;99 talks with host Casey Wilson on the London set of &#039;The Great American Baking Show.&#039; The pink ribbons in Reyes&#039; braids speak to the korovai she made in tribute to her mother&#039;s anniversary of beating breast cancer. The creation earned her &#039;star baker&#039; status on the episode, and the first person she called to tell was her mom.\" style=\"width: 593px; height: 333px;\" \/> <\/a> <div class=\"tiled-gallery-caption\" itemprop=\"caption description\"> Jenn Reyes &#8217;99 talks with host Casey Wilson on the London set of &#8216;The Great American Baking Show.&#8217; The pink ribbons in Reyes&#8217; braids speak to the theme of the korovai she made in tribute to her mother&#8217;s anniversary of beating breast cancer. The creation earned her &#8216;star baker&#8217; status on the episode, and the first person she called to tell was her mom. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <!-- close group --> <\/div> <!-- close row --> <\/div>\n<p>The sweetest feat for Reyes, though, came during Bread Week, when she designed her korovai \u2013 a traditional treat at Ukrainian weddings \u2013 as a tribute to her mother\u2019s anniversary of beating breast cancer. It was a new challenge for Reyes, but the three-tiered spice bread \u2013 studded with lemon zest and brandy-soaked cherries, and adorned with pink edible ribbons \u2013 won her \u201cstar baker\u201d status.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI had no clue what to do, so I thought of what I <em>do<\/em> know how to do,\u201d she said of the cake she created based on a solid foundation of baking skills and perseverance. \u201cIt\u2019s easy to get frustrated when trying new things. My advice would be to not give up. No matter your goal, just keep working at it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When life after college took dining hall meals and her mother\u2019s home cooking off the table, Jenn Reyes said, a pound of necessity and a pinch of desire led to a love of baking. \u201cI could learn how to roast a chicken, but I\u2019d rather know how to make a cake,\u201d said Reyes, a New [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":90,"featured_media":103471,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"umw_cb_additional_links":[[]],"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_advisory_expires_time":"","_advisory_meta_include":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[704],"tags":[],"topics":[5144],"class_list":{"0":"post-103470","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-stories","8":"topic-news","9":"entry"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.9 (Yoast SEO v26.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ 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