The familiar sound of the bell hitting the glass door at Anna’s Bakery always brings me a sense of comfort. Walking in to the aroma of freshly made donuts, black and whites, and the world’s best buttercream makes me feel like I’m entering Heaven. This small corner bakery in a small town is anything but small in character. The people who work there are warm and caring and playful, and I’m lucky to be one of them.

Anna and I do not have the normal boss/employee relationship. She is my second mother and a mentor whom I look up to for many things. Having endured a terrible divorce and raising two daughters alone, Anna is a strong woman and entrepreneur who has taught me that a woman can be successful in business and nurture a family at the same time.

Decades of experience, worry, and loving her family have made Anna like one of her famous cannolis, with a firm, protective shell on the outside and a soft and tender filling with just the right amount of sweetness on the inside. She always speaks her mind, which has taught me to stand up for myself, and that it takes more courage to express my feelings than to hide them.

Anna also has also guided me to become the responsible adolescent that I am today.  On weekends, my morning shifts start at 5 a.m. For the first hour, I take care of the wholesale orders and paperwork. Then at 6 a.m., I begin servicing the regular customers at the counter, alongside another employee. By Anna’s example and the working environment she has created, my coworkers are both my friends and family. We proudly refer to ourselves as “Anna’s chicks”.

Anna has taught us to be excellent in customer service, but she does not tolerate rudeness or bad behavior from the public. We work very hard when business is booming. And when things slow down, we joke around, discuss politics and personal dilemmas, resolve social issues, get advice about boyfriends, and play basketball with yesterday’s hard rolls.

Anna is my role model in life. Her endurance through her hardships is proof that people can survive anything and that women can find a balance between career and family. Her love for me is constant. I know that wherever my life takes me, I will always have a home at 12 Old Haverstraw Road.