5 minute read
Student Profile: Ripleigh Maring '25
Eat It or Not!
By Stephanie R. Leader
Ripleigh Maring serves a fresh milkshake at Ripleigh’s Eait It or Not Creamery in McSherrystown, Pa.
Being a full-time high school student and running a business sounds like it could be the plot of a television show. For Ripleigh Maring ’25, this is her life. Raised with a businesssavvy spirit and top-notch work ethic, the 15-year-old firstgeneration Squire is changing the entire ice cream scene in McSherrystown.
Ripleigh owns and works at Ripleigh’s Eat it or Not! Innovative Creamery. The creamery is located just steps away from Delone Catholic High School on South Sixth Street. With the help of her entrepreneurial mother, Laura, and some of her best friends from Delone Catholic, Ripleigh serves up the freshest and most unique flavors McSherrystown has ever seen.
The McSherrystown location is the second location for Ripleigh’s, the first in Emmitsburg, Md., which has plans for a new building in the works. The business started in 2021 as a food truck that was renovated out of an old uniform delivery truck and quickly expanded. The food truck can still be found at the Emmitsburg location.
Upon entering Ripleigh’s Creamery, you are met with three tiers of flavor groups to choose from, starting with the “Safety Zone” for classic flavors like Madagascar Vanilla, Chocolate, and Strawberry. Move over to the “We Dare You” section for more unique flavors like Wildberry Lavender and Oreo Cheesecake. Head over to the last flavor tier, “We Double Dog Dare You” and you’ll be greeted with flavors like Honey Jalapeno Pickle, Buffalo Chicken, and Mango Siracha. In addition to the uncommon ice cream flavors, you can find special treats like Pop-It Waffles, Freak Shakes, and Colossal Cookies.
All the treats at Ripleigh’s are made a little more fun than your average ice cream parlor, and a little fresher. All ice cream at Ripleigh’s is made fresh with A2 milk from a local dairy farm, Apple Valley Creamery. This type of milk is better for you and more digestible for those with dairy sensitivities.
Where did the idea for an innovative ice cream parlor come from? Ripleigh says it was thanks to her world travels. “Ice cream is in super high demand all over the world, especially in Europe. We said, okay, why don’t we mix up all the flavors we’ve seen?”
Ripleigh has traveled to Greece, Japan, England, Iceland, and more. Not only is the team at Ripleigh’s inspired by their travels, but they also use their creativity to think up the next big flavor. “Sometimes we go, ‘what’s the grossest thing we can make?’ or ‘what should totally not be ice cream?’” said Ripleigh’s mom, Laura.
Just like the ice cream flavors she’s tried are local to their home countries, Ripleigh plans for her creameries to stay local to her. “There’s a lot of people who travel far to come here,” Ripleigh said. “Instead of putting it everywhere, we want a location that everyone wants to come to.”
Peach Pop-It Waffle
No stranger to hard work, Ripleigh works at the McSherrystown location during the week and the Emmitsburg location on the weekends. During the school year, Ripleigh works after school and on the weekends, while also playing on the Delone Catholic girls’ volleyball team.
Delone Catholic Administrative Assistant Melanie Stonesifer P'23 P'24 enjoys a sundae at Ripleigh’s.
“She’s been swiping credit cards since she was six,” Laura said. “She learned how to talk to people and get up in the morning and go to work. She doesn’t know any other way.”
To Ripleigh, giving back to her community and her school is important. Every employee at the McSherrystown location is a Delone Catholic High School student, and she also plans to utilize ice cream fundraisers to raise money for important school and local needs.
Ripleigh’s business experience has helped her inside the classroom, too. “My business has helped me be a leader, especially during group work,” she said. “I find myself trying to help others, and with my friends working here I’ve kept a close bond between them and my school.”
While already having accomplished so much at the young age of 15, one might wonder what comes next for Ripleigh. Upon graduation, she wants to continue being a business owner, plans to attend college, and has a particular interest in astrophysics. “I’d love to be in an observatory,” Ripleigh said. “Study the stars, the universe, and see what’s out there.”
In the meantime, Ripleigh will continue to be a Squire shining star.
