With help from history teacher and father Mr. Dan Parker, alumna Hayley Parker successfully wrote and published her first cookbook, “Out of the Box Desserts.” Surrounded by her family, she signed copies of the new release Aug. 6 at Barnes and Noble in Roseville, offering customers homemade treats with recipes from the book. Her passion for baking stems back to her childhood, but she didn’t begin writing about her hobby until she created a blog, The Domestic Rebel, five years ago.

“I first started my blog in January of 2011. Growing up I knew I wanted to be a writer, but I never thought I’d be writing a cookbook,” Parker said.

With support from her family and teachers, Parker pursued her passion for making desserts and posting them on her website.

“All the teachers have been so supportive, even teachers [at Whitney] I never had. They have always been so supportive and encouraging of my dreams along the way. I didn’t know I wanted to start a blog or write a cookbook while I was at Whitney, but ever since they have been very generous with their praise,” Parker said.

Standing behind her was her father, Mr. Parker, who has pushed her to pursue her dreams no matter the cost.

“My parents always told me I could be whatever I wanted to be. My dad taste-tests pretty much everything I make, and he’s acquired quite a discernment for flavor profiles and things like that,” Parker said.

Now, Mr. Parker brings the treats she makes to work, sharing her culinary gift with anyone interested from colleagues to students.

“[The treats] are all very popular and they all get eaten. I’ll show pictures of the treats from her website, sometimes before lunch. It’s like torture. I let the teachers in my department take what they want, and then the rest I give to my class,” Mr. Parker said.

Psychology teacher Mr. Jason Knowles has tried many of Parker’s treats over the years and is a fan of a few in particular.

“[I love] anything of hers that has a citrus flavor. She has made lemon cheesecake bars which are phenomenal and her red velvet cookie dough bars are another personal favorite,” Knowles said.

Knowles remembers seeing dedication and creativity in Parker when he taught her several years ago.

“You don’t always see what these kids are gonna become when they are students, but Hayley has always been such a creative student and an outside-the-box thinker. It’s not surprising that she’s doing this, but the level of success that she has achieved is very eye-opening for me,” Knowles said.

Parker recognizes that her work has been praised by many people in her life, but she believes it impacted one person in the most meaningful way. Parker’s younger sister Chloe has grown up to see her become the chef she is today, and in turn is motivated to achieve her personal dreams.

“It’s nice to know, since blogging isn’t a traditional job, that this is still something that’s accepted by my family. Because we’re pretty traditional, and seeing that she’s tried something that isn’t so traditional as a career path has opened up opportunities for me to do the same. It has just really shown me that we can all follow our own passions and still be supported by our parents because they appreciate us,” Parker said.

After the release of her cookbook, Parker’s publicity has expanded outside the circle of Rocklin. She has since appeared on “Good Day Sacramento” and will be featured in the next issue of “Woman’s World,” a magazine with over a million readers.  She recently signed a contract for her second book, which she will begin working on shortly.

by RYLEA GILLIS AND RACHEL MARQUARDT