For Rosamaria Gomez, the path to building her future started in the same place it always has: home.
She’s lived in the same west end Davenport house her entire life — the house her great grandfather came home to after serving in World War II, the house her mother was born in, the house her family has lived in since the 1950s. That home is more than a roof. It’s her foundation.
Now, Gomez is building on it and crafting a new dream for herself: to open a bakery and café in her neighborhood. And after years of doubt, restarts, and second-guessing, she’s confident she’s on the right path.
“I’m ready. I got this,” she said.
This spring, Gomez, 31, completed EICC’s one-year Baking Certificate. This fall, she’ll enroll in the two-year Culinary Arts program. The associate’s degree she will earn is the final step before opening her own place, where she’ll serve baked goods and meals to neighbors and local factory workers.
Her mom, an accountant, will do the books. The cafe will be five minutes from home. Many of the menu items will be based on her great grandfather’s favorite dishes. “I’m also doing this for him. I know he would be proud of me,” Gomez said.
Baking has always been a part of her life — something her mom taught her, something she did for family and friends. She never thought she’d go to school for it until a friend in EICC’s Culinary Arts program encouraged her to apply. At first, she resisted. But one day, Gomez looked at the class catalog and saw a course in international breads.
“I said, ‘I want to learn how to make bread,’” she recalled.
That one class changed everything.
Gomez fell in love with the program and learning techniques at a professional level. Her first class was taught by Chef Amanda Phipps, who would become a mentor and a source of support.
“I had some family things happen, and she was there when I needed somebody to talk to,” Gomez said. “She’s a very good listener.”
Her classmates became cheerleaders too, offering pep talks and encouragement when Gomez felt stressed or anxious. “They’re like, ‘Come on, you can do it,’” she said. “My classmates, my baby sister, and my mom give me that strength.”
Her youngest sister, 12, already talks about going to college. Gomez said being a role model for her is part of what keeps her going. “She looks up to me a lot,” she said. “I’m happy that I’m a good influence on her.”
Gomez was the first in her father’s family to graduate high school, and she did so a year early, in 2012, with enough credits to skip her senior year. But when she started college, “I developed senioritis my freshman year and didn’t finish,” she said.
When she started taking classes at the Culinary Arts Center at Scott Community College in fall 2025, Gomez said her father questioned why she was in school at all. “Girls are supposed to stay home, cook, clean,” she said. “But this is what makes me happy. I was putting everybody’s happiness before mine for the longest time. And then this year I’m like, no, I’m putting me first.”
Baking has become more than a skill for Gomez. It’s therapy. It’s a source of confidence. And it’s a career.
“It relaxes me. It’s a calming science. I’m passionate about it and love it. It’s artistic and tests my patience and perfectionism,” she said.
By following her own path, Gomez hopes to make space for others to do the same — whether it’s her sister or another student like her. “I didn’t think I could do it because of all the negatives I had — especially from my dad,” she said. “I’m very proud of myself.”
Gomez sees her cafe as a way to bring something back to the west end. She plans to offer comfort food, community, and a reminder that home still matters.
“I want to give back to my community,” she said.
And through it all — her setbacks, her self-doubt, her second chance — Gomez has one message for others who might be wondering if they can do the same.
“Don’t give up. If you’re passionate about something, go for it. Don’t be scared,” she said. “As long as you have at least one person that’ll support you and be your biggest fan, do it. Go to school. Get that education. Achieve your goal.”