Maine South High School 11th grader Ella Goldklang is baking a difference one delicious muffin at a time through her business Meaningful Muffins where proceeds from her baking prowess benefits different charities. Encouraged by her college advisers, Goldklang started Meaningful Muffins in 2023 as a passion project focused on helping others.
Goldklang’s love for baking started when she was younger and would bake the holidays away with her family – a standout treat being pumpkin chocolate chip muffins she often baked in the fall. That love for baking grew stronger as she started taking culinary classes at Maine South like baking and pastry. But it’s a cause close to home that’s at the core of Meaningful Muffins.
“My brother is a senior here at Maine South and he has autism,” says Goldklang. “When I was talking with my college advisers, they helped me see that I could combine my passion for baking with my passion for helping the special needs community. I thought to myself, what if I highlight a different condition every few months and all the proceeds can be donated to an organization that helps people with that condition. That was my big “Aha” moment.”
After acquiring her Cottage Food License from the Illinois Department of Public Health, Goldklang got to work on her business and has been supporting different causes ever since. Goldklang started with highlighting autism and donated approximately $1,200 to Have Dreams, an organization that ensures individuals with autism live fulfilled, dignified and independent lives, reaching their full potential.
Currently Meaningful Muffins is highlighting Down syndrome with all proceeds going to the Amina Grace Memorial Fund, whose mission is to create lasting acceptance of people with Down syndrome and to provide resources to organizations that support those with Down syndrome and other differing abilities.
Between school, baking, researching causes, volunteering and interning, Goldklang is quite a busy student, but is thankful for each opportunity and being surrounded by friends and family.
“I’m in the highest classes possible you can take at Maine South, so balancing that with my business and all my extracurriculars has been a journey, but I’ve realized that I can prioritize different things at different times,” says Goldklang. “And I love that I’m able to see my friends and siblings at Maine South and I like that there’s so much to offer in terms of classes I’m interested in and internships.”