Senior Ryan King has a mouth-watering method for paying his tuition.
The 25-year-old economics major from New Orleans created Taste of Quality, a sweet enterprise that sells his homemade pralines.
鈥淗e came up with an idea. He has a vision. He knows where he wants to go, and he has the personality and drive to get him there,鈥 said John Must, a UL Lafayette economics instructor who has taught King in three courses.
Every Saturday, King eagerly hands out samples and greets passersby in front of his booth at the Lafayette Farmers and Artisans Market at the Horse Farm. By 10 a.m., he鈥檚 often left with only crumbs.
Inspired by farmers鈥 markets, King uses Louisiana ingredients as much as possible, such as pecans from New Roads, La., and sugar made from sugar cane grown in the Bayou State.
鈥淭his (farm-to-table) movement is putting control back into your hands. If you can鈥檛 produce your own food, you鈥檙e always going to be dependent on somebody. That鈥檚 what鈥檚 so interesting about the farmers鈥 market. You get to know your farmer like you get to know your banker,鈥 he said.
His recipe has just a few ingredients. Along with sugar and pecans, he mixes evaporated milk, pure vanilla extract and brandy.
King works more than 20 hours a week preparing and packaging the pralines. That鈥檚 on top of a full course load and two other part-time jobs, as a radio broadcaster on 770 AM KJCB and at Primeamerica Inc., a financial services company. He鈥檚 on track to graduate in May 2014.
Must said he鈥檚 impressed by King鈥檚 work ethic. 鈥淚 know he makes the pralines at night, and he still comes to class on time, ready to go. That鈥檚 hard for a person to do, even when you鈥檙e young,鈥 he said.
King rents time in the kitchen of The Accidental Chef, a Lafayette cooking school.
He looks at ease there, despite the precise timing needed for perfect pralines. He sells about 10 dozen each week at the farmers鈥 market. The treats are also sold at Old Tyme Grocery, Roly Poly Sandwiches and Country Cuisine, all in Lafayette.
鈥淭he pralines cover about 20 percent of the cost (of tuition), but I鈥檝e got a couple of loans. So, once this business really kicks off, I鈥檓 going to use it to pay them off. So, it鈥檚 paying for my school, in that sense,鈥 King said.
His culinary interest was piqued at age 17 by his mother, Georgia King. She runs Georgia鈥檚 Fine Foods, a New Orleans catering company that鈥檚 made return customers of President Barack Obama and comedian Bill Cosby.
Working from her recipe, King began making creamy pralines, eventually selling them to coworkers.
The following semester, he changed his major from architecture to economics, attributing his entrepreneurial ambition for the decision. Even as an architecture student, his foremost goal was to own an architecture firm.
He plans to continue down the entrepreneurial path after graduation.
鈥淲hen you go into business for yourself, there鈥檚 nobody over your shoulder telling you that you have to do something. You have to have that drive and motivation,鈥 he said.