By day, 17-year-old Siya Pandhey is a Class 11 student, buried in her books and dreaming of opening a bakery of her own. By evening, her classroom shifts to a roadside cart in Sarabha Nagar, where she joins her parents, preparing and selling desserts.A student of Government Senior Secondary School, Thareeke, Siya has been helping her parents run their small bakery business for about a month. What started as a family venture, has now become part of her daily routine as she balances studies with her passion for baking.Her day begins at 7.30 am with school, which continues till around 3 pm. After returning home, she works with her mother to prepare bakery products. By around 7 pm, she reaches the roadside cart with her father, where they sell desserts and take orders. The work continues till around 11.30 pm.The menu includes brownies, cheesecakes, kunafa, cookie tins, London caramel chocolate cake, Nutella chocopie, walnut pie, date and walnut dry cake and apple pie. Siya helps with both preparation and sales, gaining first-hand experience of running a small food business.Her father works at a private firm and comes directly to the cart after finishing his job. Her mother takes care of much of the preparation at home, with Siya assisting her before joining her father at the cart.For Siya, the venture is not just about earning an income. It is a way of learning and taking her first steps towards a dream she hopes to turn into a career.“I want to open a bakery shop of my own one day,” she says.Her interest in baking has encouraged her to experiment with different desserts at home. Working with her mother has taught her the basics of preparation, while evenings at the cart are helping her understand customers, orders, pricing and the effort involved in running a business.The routine leaves her with little free time, but Siya continues to give importance to her studies. She sees both her school and the bakery venture as part of her journey towards becoming independent and building a future of her own.This Teachers’ Day, however, she says her biggest lessons have come from her her parents, whom she considers her first teachers and mentors.“My parents are my mentors and teachers. They have taught me the value of hard work, responsibility and perseverance. I have seen them work hard every day, and that motivates me to work towards my own dreams,” she says.For Siya, the roadside cart has become more than a place to spend her evenings. It is a practical classroom where she is learning to deal with customers, understand a business and appreciate the effort behind every product.