Twelve-year-old Carly Van Pelt may not be a Marquette student (yet!), but a university connection helped her build a business and compete on the Food Network.
In 2023, Carly combined two passions, baking and animals, and created VP’s Treats to sell goodies for people and their pets. After seeing Carly put in so much work, her mother, Tricia (Smith) Van Pelt, Comm ’03, contacted the Diederich College of Communication, hoping to hire a student to design a logo.
Then-senior Erin Schneider, Comm ’25, did that and more, helping Carly bring her branding to life. “As a Marquette alum, I knew the right connection could make a real difference,” mom says. “And it absolutely did.”
The assist helped Carly sell her baked goods more widely, which in turn boosted her confidence in applying for Food Network’s Kids Baking Championship.
After impressing the producers during her interviews, she was flown to Los Angeles to compete alongside a dozen talented bakers, ultimately making it to the semifinals on Season 13.
“Filming was awesome,” Carly says. “And I’m really grateful to everyone who helped me along the way.”
Follow Carly on Instagram @vpstreatsbycarly.
