"Can we hire him?"

That question was asked about 10 months ago after Matthew Kiepert entered Sweet Melissa's bakery to buy a cupcake.

 "One of our employees talked with him and was impressed with his knowledge of baking," explained Amber Arrant, the store's manager. "When she asked if we could hire him, it seemed like a good thing to do."

An information technician assigned to 17th Fires Brigade, Spc. Kiepert projects a sense of confidence, knowledge and professionalism.

"I've been baking since I was 13 years old," he said as we sat in the front of the bakery, located in Suite 600 at 4747 Point Fosdick Drive NW in Gig Harbor. "My abilities have only continued to grow."

A self-described military brat from Maine, Kiepert said that he first became interested in baking after watching a show on the Food Network.

"I tried baking an apple pie after that show, and it was a pretty disgusting looking pie," he said with a grin.

That effort aside, Kiepert stuck with it and began to perfect his skills while attending high school.

"My mom encouraged my baking, and I was soon working at a Dunkin' Donuts," Kiepert recalled.  "I got better."

He soon attracted notice and began to earn some extra cash by baking for some of his friends.

Emboldened by his growing success, Kiepert took a class in cake decorating.  By the time he was a junior in high school, he began decorating wedding cakes.

"It was easy for me to pick up on baking and decorating techniques," he said. "I catch on quickly."

Kiepert joined the Army after graduation five years ago to serve and earn money to attend baking college.  His goal is to open his own bakery.

"I heard about how he had come into the bakery and talked about cupcakes," Melissa Beers, the owner, said as we talked and Kiepert decorated cupcakes. "We needed a baker and decorator."

Beers contacted Kiepert and asked him to drop buy for an interview.  It consisted of him making cream puffs as she watched.

"I brought him in for an eight hour shift; he showed me how good he is," Beers explained.  She hired him.

"And he's never left," she added with a smile.

Kiepert works two, maybe three, times a month at Sweet Melissa's.  He said that both Beers and his command have been supportive of his efforts.

"The owners understand and support the military" he said, "and the Army has provided me with the professionalism and leadership experience in order to work toward my goals."

For more information about Sweet Melissa's, visit www.sweet-melissa.com or call (253) 432-4071.