Congratulations Graduates!

As most of you probably already know by coming in the store, we have some fantastic high school girls that work for us. 

Cocoa Dolce is a pretty sweet job in general, but it’s a wonderful place for high school aged kids to work. We have flexible scheduling, and we’re open evenings, so it works well with school. Not to mention it’s a great place to learn new skills, especially those who come to us for their first job experience. 

However, there is a down side. At Cocoa, we are a family. So every year at this time we always have to say goodbye. Many of our high school graduates move on to colleges in other areas, and this year is no different. So we’d like to take this opportunity to feature our graduates here, tell a little bit about them, and send them off with best wishes and best of luck.

So without further ado, the graduates:

Angela Rygg

Favorite Chocolate: Key Lime Pie

Favorite Drink: Mango Raspberry Sorbie
Will be Attending: The Art Institute of Denver

Best experience:

“My favorite time is the Christmas parties because everyone's together and we are like one big family and not to mention the party is just fabulous! And I've learned from Beth that it takes dedication and perseverance but if you put your full effort into what you want, you can be abundantly successful!!” 

Angela started with us before she even had a car to get to work! Now she’s all grown up with a car of her own,  and we’ve learned she has a real talent for making drink creations. While she does have a real and unreasonable fear of stickers (yes, seriously) she’s managed to overcome that to fulfill her job duties (we use a lot of stickers!) and we’ve seriously enjoyed having this girl around. 

Bea Ferenc

Favorite Chocolate: Key Lime Pie

Favorite Drink: Mexican Hot Chocolate and Iced Chai Latte
Will be Attending:  University of Kansas

Best experience:

“My most memorable moment would be when I first started working and how everyone was very kind and welcoming. It was great being able to become part of a business where everyone had a strong connection. It was like a family.”

We weren’t Bea’s first job, and in fact we hired her to replace the first Bea we had who also went off to college, but we’ve loved having her this past year. Her sweetness is infectious, and she always has a ready smile and a quick laugh. We will also miss her height, which in a world of short people is a valuable asset. 

Lindsay Porter

Favorite Chocolate: Salted Caramel Ganache and Creme Brulee

Favorite Drink: Raspberry Iced Tea and White Peppermint Hot Chocolate
Will be attending: University of Kansas

Best experience:

“I love working at Cocoa Dolce because it's like working with family. I have known all the girls for almost 3 years now, and I feel like I can come to work and tell them anything. Especially if I am having a bad day. I've also loved our Christmas "secret santas" that is something I look forward to every year, and of course, the Christmas party is always at the top of my list! I don't think I'm going to be able to find a job this great in Lawrence next year :(“

Lindsay was also one of our youngins that grew up with us. She’s also really grown in her job, and we’ve seen her become more responsible and hard working. She always has a smile on her face, a loud laugh, and an optimistic outlook. She’s also one of the few blondes, which means it’ll be even more noticeable when she’s gone. 

Sam Carter

Favorite Chocolate: Mayan and Key Lime Pie

Favorite Drink: French Vanilla Iced Coffee
Will be attending: University of Kansas

Best experience:

“Cocoa dolce has given me so many new friends. It's like a new family. Beth is so helpful and inspirational, from graduation gifts to an endless supply of diet coke she always is so generous. I am very thankful for everyone at Cocoa Dolce. I've learned that work can and should be fun.”

Sam is a smart cookie who learns fast and isn’t afraid to share her opinion. We’ve loved having her sense of humor, wit, and go-getter attitude. Along with all that, she’s also a real sweetheart with a generous spirit. And she’s just a little bit of a hippie, which makes her fit in just fine. :)

Last but certainly not least:

Taylor Kruse

Favorite Chocolate: Salted Caramel Ganache

Favorite Drink: Dolce Mocha
Will be attending: Oklahoma State University

Best experience: 

“The most memorable moment for me was when we all gave each other nicknames! Ex. Monasty, Milvert...you may not want to include the nicknames in the blog though! Kind of an inside joke...”

She’s right. They are kind of an inside joke. So those will be the only ones we include here, but suffice it to say, we have to entertain ourselves somehow during the slow summer nights. Taylor has also grown up with us, and we’ve loved having her. She may be blunt, but honesty is one of her greatest qualities. She’s also very kind, never complains, and, of course, is also one of the few blondes. 

We will miss all of our girls, but we know we’ll be seeing them again during breaks. Best of luck to all of you, thanks for giving us all that you do, and as my favorite teacher once told me: Be brilliant. Go.