Creating with Purpose and Joy

When JaQuette Gilbert ’03 reflects on her time at Chatham Hall, she remembers a place that encouraged her to explore her interests, find her voice, and express herself through art, language, and leadership. Today, she continues to live out those lessons as an educator, entrepreneur, author, and mentor, blending creativity and purpose in everything she does.

After Chatham Hall, JaQuette earned a Bachelor’s degree in French from Clemson University and later completed a Master’s in School Counseling with a certificate in Play Therapy from Capella University. She now serves as a School Counselor at South Carolina Whitmore School, a virtual public charter high school serving students across the state. But teaching is not all thatJaQuette is up to these days.  “I'm a School Counselor by day at SC Whitmore School… By night, I run a home-based bakery named Baked Joyfully.”

A typical day includes checking emails, voicemails, and texts, monitoring student progress, attending meetings, and providing guidance. “I love meeting students where they are, and helping them get to where they need to be. It warms my heart to see someone achieve a goal they weren't sure was possible. The hardest part of being a School Counselor is seeing someone give up on their goals.”

In 2022, JaQuette embraced another lifelong passion, baking, when she opened her home-based bakery, Baked Joyfully, in Columbia, South Carolina. Specializing in custom sugar cookies and cookie cakes, she combines creativity with flavor to bring joy to her community. Baking is another way she gets to express her creativity and bring people happiness.

Her bakery days are filled with inventory checks, client communications, creating designs inspired by nature or online images, taking photos and reels for social media, and attending local farmers' markets and craft shows. But her work does not stop here. She expands on her work, “Giving is important to me. Each month, I look forward to creating a set of cookies for a family with a child who has a critical illness. This is done through my partnership with Icing Smiles.”

Writing, Mentoring, and Creativity
“I had amazing teachers in high school. Chatham Hall prepared me by teaching me how to think critically, how to find solutions, and how to value the experiences and lives of those from all over the world.”

Alongside her counseling and baking, JaQuette is a published author and writing mentor. She has written two books: 11 Ways to JumpStart Your Thinking and Write. Reflect. Create: 250 Writing Prompts for the Creative and Introspective Writer, designed to help writers discover their voice and confidence. Her books were even used at Chatham Hall during the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) program in 2017, bringing her creative influence full circle and back to campus.

As a Special Features Editor for Permission to Write and a contributor to HuffPost and midnight & indigo, JaQuette uplifts underrepresented voices and creates spaces where women and teens feel empowered to share their stories. 

Chatham Hall was foundational in shaping JaQuette’s multi-passionate path. As a student, she served as the Gospel Choir President, an Honor Council member, and an Assistant Editor of The Iris Literary Magazine, and received the Foreign Language Award. These experiences taught her leadership, discipline, and the courage to pursue multiple passions.

Whether she’s crafting the perfect cookie, mentoring a student, or writing her next piece, she lives fully in the values and confidence instilled at Chatham Hall.

She offers some great insight. “For those interested in becoming an educator, I suggest shadowing and volunteering before pursuing a degree in college… If you'd like to have a home-based bakery, be sure you're knowledgeable of state and county regulations, know your why, analyze your data, and have fun creating delectable treats while never stopping learning.”