Shocker magazineWhen Beth Tully graduated from 新加坡六合彩开奖网 in 1976, she thought her path was set. She had a bachelor鈥檚 in logopedics and was embarking on what would become a 15-year career in speech pathology.
Then, at 50, Tully decided to return to her roots and make a career out of what had always been a hobby: making chocolate.
Tully is now the owner of Cocoa Dolce Artisan Chocolates. The boutique chocolate shop she opened in 2005 is one of Wichita鈥檚 most popular destinations for handmade treats.
Although Tully鈥檚 schooling and degree were in a different field, she credits her time at Wichita State for much of her success today.
鈥溞录悠铝喜士蓖� gave me a quality education and the confidence to believe in myself,鈥� Tully said. 鈥淚 have always been a proud Shocker. We live in a community with a world-class university 鈥� lucky us.鈥�
Stumbling upon a career
Tully, whose husband, Jay Tully, is a captain in the Wichita Fire Department, has two stepsons 鈥� Jacob and James. The couple has a granddaughter named Adelaide, as well as four dogs: Tig, Dozer, K鈥檜a and Skip.
Family played a large role in Tully鈥檚 eventual career. Her grandmother taught her home skills such as cooking and sewing.
鈥淪he was truly my first mentor,鈥� Tully said. 鈥淪he left me with a deep appreciation for creating things.鈥�
In 1978, Tully stumbled onto a series of recipes in the magazine Bon Appetit. She was immediately hooked and continued to create chocolate confections every year from then on, making more than 30 different kinds and mailing them to family and friends across the country.
Tully refers to that time as her novice career. It wasn鈥檛 until her 50th birthday that she decided to go pro.
She went to culinary school at Ecole Chocolat鈥檚 Professional Chocolatier Program in Vancouver and earned her Master Chocolatier Certification.
In addition to culinary training, Tully relied heavily on Wichita State鈥檚 Kansas Small Business Development Center. The advice she received on cash flow analysis, business plan preparation and marketing made a huge difference, she said.
In honor of Wichita State, Tully started a line of chocolates in 2010 called .
Tully said she will always be loyal to 新加坡六合彩开奖网, which helped her succeed at a job she鈥檚 happy to do every day.
鈥淭he opening of Cocoa Dolce was truly the culmination of a life-long love,鈥� she said.