Samantha Kish
Samantha Kish started out at Monroe Career & Technical Institute in 1999 and in 2003, graduated with High Honors in Culinary Arts. While at MCTI, Samantha competed in cake decorating competitions for two years. She also had the opportunity to attend the national conference with her impressive Cooperative Education Portfolio. MCTI’s education program and its teachers, especially Maria Hafler, helped Samantha through three years at the technical school. Samantha’s hard work and effort drove her to succeed and reach her future life goals.
In addition to working with Maria Hafler at MCTI, Samantha took night/adult classes with Kathy Lockwhich, completing the Wilton Cake Decorating Program. Samantha’s senior year was so rewarding and exciting. She received the honor of “SkillsUSA Student of the Year” and that same year her advisor, Maria Hafler, received the honor of “SkillsUSA Advisor of the Year “.
Samantha’s active involvement with SkillsUSA assisted her in receiving scholarships from Johnson and Wales University in Rhode Island, graduating with an Associate’s Degree in Science and Pastry Arts in 2006.
From 2006 to 2009 Samantha worked as an Assistant Pastry Chef at several high-end resorts and bakeries, becoming an experienced and professional pastry connoisseur. Today Samantha is a Head Pastry Chef at Granny Schmidt’s Bake Shop in Emmaus, Pennsylvania; where she has been baking, decorating, and mastering cakes for the past year. Her involvement with SkillsUSA continues as she has been a judge of the cake decorating competitions at the District Championships held every winter.
Samantha spends her free time competing in cake competitions such as March of Dimes, Morning Call Newspaper, and Let Them Eat Cake in Philadelphia; successfully winning two of the three competitions. She continues to update her skills by taking advanced classes in modern cake decorating. Samantha’s knows now that walking into Monroe Career & Technical Institute is where her dream started; today all of her dreams and goals in life are a reality.
