VSU graduate Tiffany Young showed students how to turn “lemons” into “pink lemonade” in the Pound Hall Auditorium Tuesday at 5 p.m. as she shared her trials towards opening her own business, the Pink Pastry Parlor.

 Though Young has the highest rated pre-teen television show titled “Party at Tiffany’s” on the Oprah Winfrey Network, it is her bakery business that has her name streaming through the streets of Atlanta as one of the leading cupcake and party destinations.

 She owns a cupcake shop with a party area in the back.

 She has focused herself on creating theme parties for young girls as both she and her staff come together to make each party unique and entertaining.

 In her white suit, pink shirt and matching shoes, Young served the purpose to let students know not to allow their past to hinder them from accomplishing their dreams as she told some of her struggles

 During her presentation, one of the slides read: “You do what you have to do, so you can do what you want to do.”

 As a part of her encouragement to students, she said, “I consider it failing when you don’t get back up. When you fall, keep going.”

 Young began with just a lemonade stand where she sold “lemon-flavored Kool-Aid” for 25 cents per cup and her life has flourished since then.

 According to her, hard work does pay off.

 As a first generation college graduate, she received her bachelors in marketing.

 As part of her job search , once she relocated to Atlanta after graduation, she applied to 14 restaurants.

 Three called her back and the Cheesecake Factory gave her a job.

 In Young’s opinion, students should build self-confidence, leadership skills and determination.

 Michael Jordan, former NBA basketball player and Major League baseball player, was among her examples of people who demonstrated these characteristics. He was cut from his high school basketball team many times before he finally made it to the NBA.

 She talked about her church, where she volunteered, that would go to prisons and preach. An inmate asked her if he could teach her how to play chess.

 This was his way of telling her about principles that he said one should know about life.

 Number 1: One is either a pawn or a king. “You’re either gonna win this life, or you’re gonna be someone else who watches other people win,” Young said when talking about the inmate.

 Number 2: Life is chess, not checkers. In the inmate’s opinion, there’s no jumping around in life.

 There were positive comments flowing about Young’s presentation.

 “I thought it was fantastic,” Aerolyn Shaw, senior public relations major, said. “Her main message was [to] be a leader of your life. You’re in control of your life [so] be confident.”