Balancing Books and Baking: FLVS Student Builds His Own Business

Sep 8, 2026, 08:01 by Hailey Lawson

This article will highlight Sebastian Rosado's achievements in entrepreneurship and demonstrate how the flexibility of an online education supports students in balancing rigorous academics with their chosen pursuits and extracurricular interests.

September 8, 2026

By: Hailey Lawson, Communications Specialist, Florida Virtual School

Sebastian Rosado, a Florida Virtual School (FLVS) Flex student, stands at a display for his small business, Crispy’s Baking Co. (left). He sells baked goods prepared in his kitchen (right) at the Winter Haven Farmers Market in Winter Haven, Fla., every Saturday.

For Sebastian Rosado, the school week is shaped by more than assignments and deadlines. The Florida Virtual School (FLVS) Flex student also spends part of each week preparing baked goods for his small business, Crispy’s Baking Co., while continuing to work toward his academic goals.

Alt text goes here — Sebastian Rosado, a FLVS Flex student, decorates cookies topped with chocolate truffles in his home kitchen in Florida. Rosado prepares and sells handcrafted baked goods through his small business, Crispy's Baking Co.

Rosado, who lives in Polk County, Fla., has been an FLVS Flex student since 2022, and has had a passion for cooking and baking since he was a little boy. What began as a personal passion eventually became something he wanted to pursue more seriously. That passion led him to take cooking and baking classes in 2018, and with his parents’ permission, he opened his own small baking business, Crispy’s Baking Co., in June 2025.

Since then, Rosado has been selling his products through the business's social media pages and at his local farmers market, where he sets up his booth each Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Winter Haven Farmer’s Market

Balancing school and a business requires Rosado to plan his week with intention.

“During the week, I try to finish all my school work by Wednesday so I can bake for my business on Thursday and Friday for the market on Saturday,” he said.

The routine reflects the balance Rosado has worked to build as both a student and a young entrepreneur. While the work requires time and consistency, Rosado said it is something he genuinely enjoys.

“When I’m in the kitchen, no matter the hours I spend there, I enjoy every minute,” said Rosado. “It’s hard work and a big responsibility, but when you make things with passion and love, the results are unique and delicious.”

Rosado says his goal is for his experience to reflect a broader idea: that students can work toward their goals while still in school. For him, running a business is one way that can take shape.

“I would love to serve as inspiration to others, that you can be a young entrepreneur and a student at the same time,” he said.

The work is already underway for Rosado, balancing school, preparing for market days, and building experience for the culinary path he hopes to pursue after high school.