Isabelle Ricks fell in love with baking as a freshman at Staples High School. She quickly got good. Everyone — even her boyfriend’s French mother — said her pastries and cookies were great.
But life was not all sugary and sweet.
In college, academics and recipe testing were put on hold due to anxiety. Then Isabelle was hospitalized, with a mysterious reaction to medication.
Physically and emotionally sick, she needed something joyful. Once again, she began baking and decorating cookies.
Today, Isabelle is again a full-time biology major. She’s an aspiring doctor.
Her business — “Baked by Belle” — is thriving too. And starting next year, she’ll give 10% of all profits to a mental health foundation.
Isabelle Ricks’ Halloween treats …
But back to 9th grade. Isabelle and her sister Madison spent late nights in the kitchen, baking whatever they could with whatever ingredients they found.
“Many ill-made apple pies and melted cookies later,” she understood the science behind baking. She turned her parents’ Westport home into a makeshift test kitchen.
Her first challenge was to perfect chocolate chip cookies. It took a while, but she finally found a recipe that worked.
She knew she had a hit when her brother John-Austin told her to stop baking, because he couldn’t stop eating them.
… and chocolate chip cookies.
In 2021, after graduating from Staples — and playing on the soccer team, and working at Elvira Mae’s — she headed to Sacred Heart University.
Her anxiety medicine caused a disabling reaction. The skin on her arms, legs and necks attacked itself, leaving painful wounds.
Isabelle was hospitalized, biopsied, and poked and prodded by doctors who had never seen her symptoms.
Her anxiety, meanwhile, had to be treated with different trial medicines. Panic attacks tormented her.
When she finally returned to school, baking and decorating sugar cookies became her stress reliever. It was creative, and she barely felt any anxiety doing it — especially while her favorite Harry Potter movies played in the background.
As she worked hard to heal her mind and body, she appreciated her talent as a baker.
Buoyed by her biggest supporters — her siblings; her parents Tyler and Brianna; her boyfriend Max and his family — she packed bags of cookies to deliver to customers, then started an Instagram account.
Isabelle Ricks kicks back.
Now — looking ahead to a career in medicine, and a side gig baking — Isabelle says, “I cannot wait to see what the future holds. I am so happy to be able to share my story with anyone who wants to listen.”
“06880” has shared many stories with young people who overcame adversity.
This is one of the sweetest.
(To contact Isabelle Ricks, email bakedbybelle@yahoo.com. Her Instagram is @bakedbybellect. Hat tip: Betsy Kravitz)
(“06880” is proud to showcase the highlights of Staples graduates. If you enjoy reading about them, please support our work. Click here — and thank you.)
Such a strong young woman! Happy you have found your passion off the field! Looking forward to ordering some cookies.
Excellent piece Dan about an amazing young woman and her story! Isabelle was one of our first, best, hard working and dedicated employees at Elvira Mae’s right from the start. Her cookies are pretty darn good as well! Thank you for sharing!