Profile - Liza Noskova

Judy Djlelati, a Government and Politics major at the University of Maryland, is the founder of La Citadelle, a candle-making business on campus. Djlelati makes the candles in her kitchen work-space and has recently started selling them at the Maryland Food Co-Op in the basement of the Stamp Student Union.

Djlelati buys the supplies needed for her candles in bulk. She says it is a much better deal than buying smaller amounts as she poses with a half-empty bag of soy wax.

Djlelati stirs the wax and coloring mixture as it begins to heat up and liquefy. She makes several batches a week, both for general sale at the co-op and upon individual request.

This batch is lemon-scented. "Someone requested one lemon candle, but I might as well make a whole batch and take the rest over to the co-op," Djlelati explains.

Djlelati hand-makes the labels for all of her candles. She says the name "La Citadelle" was inspired by one of her favorite places, the citadel in her home city in Syria.