Pennsylvania College of Technology students and employees are again set to make a delicious impact at the iconic Kentucky Derby, slated to make its 152nd run at Churchill Downs racetrack in Louisville, Kentucky, on May 2.
Penn College students have been joining the Downs’ Derby Week culinary brigade since 1994 – missing only two years since (when Churchill Downs changed its food/beverage provider). Derby Week entails a series of themed race days leading up to the Kentucky Derby, the longest continually held sporting event in the United States. More than 150,000 guests typically attend the race, where high-end hospitality is an integral part of the tradition.
Pennsylvania College of Technology students and faculty who are set to join the hospitality staff during the famed Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs gather for a group photo.
Levy, the current food/beverage provider, selected 28 students for paid Derby Week internships following a visit to Penn College in February.
Baking and culinary students will join chefs from across the country in the Downs’ premium venues, as well as the “main kitchen,” where staff handle literal tons of ingredients that will ultimately be part of a bucket-list experience for those who attend Derby Week events.
Also, two students majoring in business administration will serve the “front of the house,” interfacing with guests.
Several students are making a return trip to the Derby. For Jeanita J. Pierre, an applied management student and baking & pastry arts graduate from McConnellsburg, this will be her third Derby Week internship.
“At the 150th and 151st Kentucky Derbys, I had the opportunity to work with a wide range of seafood, charcuterie and pastry,” she said. “These experiences strengthened my skill set and boosted my confidence at a time when I was questioning my career path. This event challenges me to grow professionally, motivates me academically, and I have enjoyed my experience and am proud to be a part!”
Pennsylvania College of Technology student Jeanita J. Pierre, of McConnellsburg, poses with a pastry display in one of Churchill Downs’ premium dining and race-viewing venues during the 2025 Kentucky Derby. Pierre and 27 other Penn College students are set to join the hospitality team for the 2026 Derby, slated May 2. (Photo by Chef Amanda L. Farr-Lepper, assistant professor of culinary arts)
Emma J. Turner, a culinary arts technology and applied management student from South Williamsport, thought after her first go-round last year that it was great but something she only wanted to do once.
“However, here I am returning, because it is not only one of the longest and hardest weeks of your life, but it is the most rewarding,” she said.
“That final day, after you have fed thousands of people, getting to watch the final race reminds you how lucky you are to get to experience such an amazing opportunity to come together with so many different individuals who allow you to build your connections with the hospitality world,” she said. “I am eager to be returning; I will be coming in knowing how much I have grown since last year and how much stronger I have become in the culinary field.”
Students will be accompanied by Chef Charles R. Niedermyer, instructor of baking and pastry arts/culinary arts, and Chef Amanda L. Farr-Lepper, assistant professor of culinary arts. Other Penn College personnel joining the Levy team are Le Jeune Chef Restaurant staff Patrick E. Hufnagle, pastry chef; Amy L. Johle, coordinator of restaurant operations/maître d’hotel; Trevor M. Rosato, sous chef II; and Ron L. Ott, coordinator of restaurant operations/maître d’hotel. They will also be joined by recent culinary arts technology graduates Nathan A. Fleagle ’24, of State College, and Lybbi A. Switzer ’25, of Berwick.
Students completing Derby Week internships, listed by their major:
Baking & pastry arts:
Shanti A. Acencio, of Arvenne, New York; Ronald L. Bryant, of Farmington; Jaylynn F. Lewis Dickinson, of Philadelphia; Hunter G. Lingafelt, of Millville; Yenisel Mateo, of Nanticoke; Ryanna L. McLean, of Muncy; Adelaide E. Miller, of Mill Hall; Isabelle R. Overdorf, of Elizabethtown; Jeanita J. Pierre, of McConnellsburg; Dayana Ramirez, of Jamestown, New York; Amanda N. Wetzel, of Hanover; and Natalia E. Yondura, of Quakertown.
Bryant, Lingafelt, Mateo, McLean and Pierre are also pursuing bachelor’s degrees in applied management. (McLean and Pierre completed their associate degrees in baking and pastry arts in 2025.)
Business administration:
Olivia M. Casella, of Williamsport; and Sierra N. Klinger, of Klingerstown.
Culinary applications:
Joel T. Franks, of Gibsonia.
Culinary arts technology:
Tyler S. Cressman, of Reading; Brandon J. Harris II, of Uniontown; Ryan A. Higgins, of Huntingdon Valley; Madison A. Lee, of Montgomery; Kaedence S. Lyles, of Williamsport; Alan Navarro, of Kennett Square; Charlie J. Shimp, of Reinholds; Paul A. Shimp, of Reinholds; Emma J. Turner, of South Williamsport; and Clara M. Wilson, of Willow Street.
Turner is also pursuing a bachelor’s degree in applied management.
Professional baking:
Isabelle C. Shaffer, of Sunbury.
To learn more about Penn College’s hospitality and business majors, call 570-327-4505.
For information about Penn College, a national leader in applied technology education, email the Admissions Office or call toll-free 800-367-9222.