When teachers see Joy Grossman coming down the hallways of Mountain View High School, they know they can count on a few things.

They know they can expect a friendly smile, an upbeat attitude, and if they’re lucky, a tasty treat fresh from the school’s culinary classroom.

“We call her ‘Joyful’ because she’s got a great attitude and she always has a smile on her face,” Jules Schmitz, Joy’s culinary teacher said. “And you can just see how passionate she is about culinary.”

Joy, 17, is a Mountain View High School senior whose plans for the future include a lot of batter, frosting, sprinkles and hard work. She’s chasing a big dream — she wants to own her own bakery business one day.

“Baking is just my happy place,” Joy said. “I’ll be doing it until I’m too old and rickety to.”

Joy is going to culinary school to study pastry next year, after which she is planning to open up a pastry shop with her best friend.

She’s already got the name: “Bubble Cakes,” based on her nickname — derived from her bubbly personality.

Joy has been in Mountain View High School’s culinary program since she was a freshman. Her love for baking started at age 13, when she started watching “Cake Boss,” a reality show set at a bakery in Hoboken, N.J.

“Everyone on the show always seems so happy with what they’re doing, and I could see myself doing that too,” Joy said. “I found it very motivational.”

While she’s learned to cook a variety of dishes, Joy has a passion for pastry, especially cupcakes. Every Friday during her culinary classes’ open session, she experiments with a different cupcake recipe. Mountain View teachers and administration are often the happy recipients of her creations, Joy said.

Schmitz says Joy’s positive attitude combined with her enthusiasm for culinary arts makes her one of the top students in her class.

“She’s one of those kids who you want to hurry up and graduate because you know they have a bright future ahead of them,” Jules said.

When Joy isn’t in the kitchen, she can be found practicing with Mountain View High’s equestrian team. Joy has owned her Arabian “Gizmo” since elementary school, and has been on the equestrian team since her sophomore year. This year, Joy has a good shot at going to the state competition after placing third recently in a district keyhole race, which involves running the horse at full speed, stopping before a line, and turning around abruptly to run in the other direction.

“It takes a lot of control,” Joy said. “It’s a lot of time and work, but it’s worth it.”

Joy doesn’t know if she’ll continue with her equestrian endeavors after high school, but she is certain about her future in the culinary industry. She’s planning on attending Central Oregon Community College’s Cascade Culinary Institute next year, where she hopes to refine her skills in the kitchen.

“My favorite part of baking is seeing how happy it makes people,” Joy said. “You can express a lot of feeling through the food you make.”

Joy Grossman

Age: 17, a senior at Mountain View High School

Favorite Movie: “Django Unchained,” the Harry Potter movies

Favorite TV Show: “Cake Boss”

Favorite Book: “The Hunger Games”

Favorite Music: The Band Perry

Hobbies: Drawing, baking