MEMPHIS, Tenn. — 15-year-old Ramiya Moore started her small business, Sugar Land Treats, when she was in seventh grade with a dream and a few supporters. Today, Moore is a rising tenth grader and more involved in Memphis Athletic Ministries (MAM) than ever before.
Sugar Land Treats is Moore's small business selling chocolate-covered fruits. She started her business when she was in seventh grade at just 13 years old.
"I always told my mom I wanted to work for myself and I just like cooking in the kitchen and making treats," Moore said.
Moore is a member of MAM’s Amplified Mentoring Program.
The program works with a select group of high school students from around Memphis who have been selected as leaders among their peers.
“We mentorship kids, we play volleyball and we just talk with the kids and have a connection with them,” Moore said.
Sarah Gilmore is the Director of the Leawood MAM location and said Moore has shown to be a creative student through her time in the mentorship program. Gilmore explains the has classes geared toward preparing students for the world after graduating high school.
“In addition to that mentorship, they also have weekly classes where they learn about various life skill activities, how to budget, how to have a personal brand, how to learn the basics of investing,” Gilmore said. “They do all sorts of those life skills as well as getting to practice working in our facilities so they have a job and get a stipend to really get that beginner work experience for the students as we hope to prepare them for work after they graduate.”
These are just some of the classes that helped Moore build Sugar Land Treats. Moore makes banana pudding, chocolate covered strawberries, candied grapes and chocolate cover pineapple.
“My favorite is making chocolate covered pineapples,” Moore said.
“Ramiya already has a lot of the dreams and visions – and a lot of our students do already have the gifts and talents we’re really just coming alongside to support and connect them to other people.
Now Moore is saving her profits with her mindset already on the future.
“I’m saving money for my business because when I get older I want my business to expand and have my own building and everything that I need for my business,” Moore said.
You can support Moore’s business by placing an order on through direct messages on her Instagram.