BILLINGS — Hispanic Heritage Month is from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, and one MSU Billings student connects to her Mexican heritage through her passion for baking.
Eighteen-year-old Juliaah Villanueva juggles a busy schedule as a full-time business student. Still, she is also the owner and operator of Beatriz Mexican Sweets and More, a venture she started at age 15. The business specializes in homemade baked Mexican goods and pastries, including conchas (sweet bread), polvorónes (cookies), tres leches cakes, and even aguas frescas (fruit drinks).
“I was nervous. I wasn't sure how it was going to all go. It's just me doing all the baking and also with school on top of that, so I just had to learn to balance it out," said Juliaah.
She sells mainly during markets and events but also takes catering orders. The support of her family—her parents, Beatriz and Adrian Villanueva, sisters, cousin, and grandparents— has been instrumental in helping her manage and market her business.
The community's reaction has been overwhelmingly positive and has kept them in business, both from those curious about what everything is, to those drawn to the nostalgic flavors reminiscent of their childhoods.
“People were really surprised by it. It's new," said Beatriz.
"I have a few people that come up like, 'Oh, my mom used to make this for me when I was like little,' and like they're here and she's over [in Mexico] so they don't really get it here. They miss them so they’ll buy them. It's like a good feeling," said Juliaah.
Juliaah bakes all of her goods herself in her home in Billings, which is something she learned from a young age when she began cooking alongside her grandmother.
“Tamales, tortillas, tacos, whatever she was making. I was right there with her helping," said Juliaah.
That deep-rooted love of cooking and baking grew, but several years ago, she noticed that there were few places around town where traditional Mexican goods could be found, ones that she had perfected the recipes of.
“We met a lot of people who spoke Spanish and they're like, 'Oh, there's none of this really around, so we missed it,' and I was like, 'Well, I know how to make it. Why don’t I just sell it to you?'" said Juliaah.
After a trip to the farmers market, she told her parents she wanted to begin running her own booth.
“We're like, 'Wow, this is a commitment.' We gave her some money and started her up and here we are three years later and she's running the whole thing on her own. We're mainly just kind of the 'volun-tolds.' We just work for her," said Adrian and Beatriz.
In their first few markets, they sold out within a few hours, prompting her to make more supply each week. Juliaah's success led her to quickly outgrow their family kitchen, eventually purchasing a commercial mixer, double ovens, and a sheet pan rack to assist with the growing demand.
However, the business has become more than just selling sweets. In Mexican culture, food and family are deeply intertwined, and Juliaah’s baking serves as a bridge to her roots. Her maternal grandparents speak solely Spanish, and while Juliaah does not consider herself fluent in the language, it has helped her connect with them.
"Juliaah has always been really good at connecting with my parents," said Beatriz. “Our parents were born in Mexico, and so, we're first-generation Mexicans and we're proud of that. We want all of our daughters to know how important it is and how proud they should be to be Mexican."
Through her culinary journey and faith in her religion, that connection and cultural appreciation have grown stronger over the years.
“It's just a matter of her maintaining a connection to her heritage and her culture and not forgetting Spanish and not being able to know where she came from and where her roots are,” said Beatriz. "As she continues to grow and learn and remain in Christ, she's good. She's golden."
“I just always had a love for my culture because I'm always around it, so it's just a part of me," said Juliaah.
The venture has also significantly bolstered her confidence. Despite being a quiet and private person who has faced challenges in school, her business has empowered her to grow and change in remarkable ways according to her parents.
“She's a very quiet and private person so she's always struggled with school like it's been her biggest struggle and I think that her getting this far has been a big deal,” said Beatriz.
“We're just so proud of her. She does this all on her own and we don't even know how to bake. We’re not even sure where she got it from, but she’s very good at it,” added Adrian.
Juliaah hopes to keep expanding her business and one day run a food truck after completing school, but for now, she remains dedicated to celebrating and sharing her cultural heritage with others.
“It reminds me, this is what my culture has made for generations, and from the very beginning to now," said Juliaah.
