Back home, I wasn’t “that farm girl.” I was Mele — able to patch a tire, wrangle chickens, and sell produce like a pro. Why was I letting a few raised eyebrows shrink me? The turning point came during a school fundraiser. While others brought cookies and crafts, I baked six sweet potato pies from our family recipe. They sold out in twenty minutes. Ms. Bell, the guidance counselor, told me, “This is you, Mele.” Then Izan, the guy everyone liked, asked if I could bake one for his mom.