MACON, Ga. — Mercer University alumna Chloe Paulk, CLAS/BUS ‘26, was chosen as the Georgia Student Finance Commission’s (GSFC) Moment of Impact Speaker for the Board of Commissioners’ quarterly meeting held on Aug. 7.
The Moment of Impact is a recurring presentation during the President’s Report to the Board, when commissioners hear directly from a student who has been impacted through financial aid programs administered by the GSFC.
“The Georgia Student Finance Commission is here to serve Georgia’s students, and our Board of Commissioners heard a powerful personal story from Chloe to help them better understand the impact of our scholarship programs,” said GSFC President Chris Green. “We value our state’s outstanding independent universities, and Chloe represented Mercer and all private institutions well in her presentation to the Commissioners.”
Paulk was invited because of her exceptional academic and co-curricular record as an undergraduate, her background from a rural community, starting and growing a gluten-free cake mix business and earning both a Zell Miller Scholarship and the Tuition Equalization Grant.
“I am grateful for organizations like the Georgia Student Finance Commission who are helping hardworking students and families pursue higher education with less or no financial burden,” said Paulk. “I am incredibly thankful to be a beneficiary of this work. Through Zell Miller and the tuition equalization grant through GSFC, and Mercer specific scholarships, my education was made possible with no financial burden. It gave me the freedom to say yes to many life changing opportunities throughout my undergraduate experience.”
Paulk, from Ocilla, was an entrepreneurship and marketing double-major. She grew up baking and started her baked goods business, Cake It With Chloe, in 2019. When she developed a severe gluten sensitivity, she began selling gluten-free versions of her cakes.
As a high school senior, Paulk advanced her business through involvement in the Georgia Foundational Leadership and Entrepreneurship X-perience (FLEX) and won first place and $5,000 in the competition.
As a college freshman, she tied for first place and won $250 in Mercer’s Elevator Pitch competition. As a senior, she won first place and $4,000 in the School of Business Next Big Idea 2026 competition and used the prize money to help expand her business.
Paulk’s cake mix is now for sale across Georgia, including 15 specialty retail locations, 10 Piggly Wiggly grocery stores in South Georgia and online. She is currently working to add more flavors and secure additional selling locations in the near future.
You can view Paulk’s full presentation here.
Feature image: (From left) Georgia Student Finance Commission President Chris Green, GSFC Commissioner Ed Pease, GSFC Board Chair Mid Ramsey, Mercer graduate Chloe Paulk, Georgia Independent Colleges Association President Jenna Colvin, GSFC Commissioner Thad Thompson and GSFC Commissioner Rick Mant.
