At 20 years old, a Dickson City baker is headed back to the Kentucky Derby to intern at one of the sports world’s most elegant events.
Kendal Johnson is part of an annual Pennsylvania College of Technology trip to the Derby, a path that started with Christmas cookies and the gift of a KitchenAid stand mixer.
Johnson is among more than 20 students who will leave the Williamsport campus by bus Monday. The school, more commonly called Penn College, is an affiliate of Penn State.
At Churchill Downs, in Louisville, Kentucky, last year, Johnson helped prepare sweets at The Mansion, which the Kentucky Derby website calls “our pinnacle of luxury experience.”
Kendal Johnson works with icing. (Penn College)
A cake made by Kendal Johnson for her business. (Kendal Johnson)
Kendal Johnson (Kendal Johnson)
Churchill Downs (Penn College)
“I think I worked 62 hours in five days, but it really is like no other” experience, Johnson said.
This year, she will again work behind the scenes, on the pastry displays at Club SI, a Sports Illustrated magazine themed area, where two-day packages start at $7,601 and are sold out.
The Derby is Saturday, preceded by another race Friday.
Last year, the interns got a break to gather on a balcony and watch what is called “the most exciting two minutes in sports.” The students sampled some of the food, such as crab legs.
“We all had a great time down there,” she said.
She didn’t interact with patrons, but caught glimpses of women’s traditional hats and men’s sharp suits.
“You could tell everyone was dressed so elegantly and richie rich,” she said.
Johnson graduated from Mid Valley Secondary Center, where she was a cheerleader, in 2023.
When she was younger, she started making Christmas cookies with her grandmother, Erin Paciotti of Dunmore.
“l just kind of got into the baking habit.” she said. “And when COVID happened, my dad got me a KitchenAid mixer and I kind of just started experimenting in my kitchen. And then it just kind of blew up from there,” she said.
Her father, Ralph Johnson, gave her an aqua-colored stand mixer she calls “her baby.”
Her sophomore year in high school she opened Kendal’s Cakery Kreations in her home and is officially licensed through the state Department of Agriculture. Now she has two additional KitchenAid stand mixers, in purple and baby blue. “I just run them all the time,” she said.
Her specialties include cookies decorated with royal icing, birthday cakes, cupcakes, and cookie kits for kids. She aims for a balance of items that appeal to kids and adults.
Johnson will have a sales space at the Circle Drive-In Flea Fair in Dickson City this spring and summer, beginning May 11. She takes orders through the Kendal’s Cakery Kreations Facebook page.
She has completed a Penn College associate degree in baking and pastry arts and will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in business in the spring of 2026.
From there, she hopes to own a baked goods food truck and then a brick-and-mortar bakery. She’s looking to stay in the region, in part to have help from family.
The Penn College group includes Brooke A. Austin, of Shavertown; and AJ R. Velez Jr., of McAdoo, plus faculty and staff. Penn College has sent people to the Derby since 1993.
“Participating in the Kentucky Derby is truly the experience of a lifetime,” said chef Amanda L. Farr-Lepper, assistant professor of culinary arts, in a news release.
Dining at the Derby is overseen by Levy Restaurants, which is involved in many other big events.
“The opportunity to work with experienced Levy chefs from all over the country who come together for this one week provides students with nationwide connections,” Farr-Lepper said.
Currently, Penn College enrolls 29 students from Lackawanna County and 68 from Luzerne County.