Molly Donahue
Molly Donahue grew up with two passions: Visiting Disney World and baking with her mom.
Now the 19-year-old poised to blend those two passions into a sweet career – one she hopes will land her behind the scenes in a pastry kitchen at Walt Disney World.
Molly’s tale began at Bloomingdale High School, outside of Tampa, where she fell in love with her culinary classes and realized she wanted to become a professional baker.
“I then started selling baked goods to friends and family to see if I could really do this as a career,” Molly said. Her passion and experience led her to be named Culinary Student of the Year during her senior year at Bloomingdale.
Although Molly was determined to study at a culinary college, she had to navigate a few bumps in the road. As a senior in high school, she was planning to enroll at Johnson & Wales University in Miami, but when the culinary university’s directors voted in 2020 to close that campus, Molly decided to look elsewhere. She got accepted at the Culinary Institute of America in upstate New York, but the tuition was too high, she said.
And that’s where serendipity (and a little pixie dust) came in. While researching collegiate culinary programs, Molly learned about the Walt Disney World School of Culinary Arts and Hospitality at Valencia College, which opened its new kitchens and facilities at the downtown campus in 2019.
For a longtime Disney passholder like Molly, the location and strong connection with Walt Disney World made it a dream come true.
Molly Donahue poses with Mickey at the Walt Disney World School of Culinary Arts and Hospitality at Valencia College.
Molly then set forth to make her time in the program worthwhile.
After gaining her footing in the program, Molly earned a position as a lab assistant in the culinary classroom kitchens at Valencia College. She is also a two-time scholarship recipient from the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation.
“As a lab assistant, I get to see behind the scenes and learn additional skills such as upkeep of the kitchen and health department regulations,” Molly said. “I also learn how to order food and receive stock, skills I never even thought I would learn while pursuing my degree.”
In her part-time work in the lab, she is not only learning culinary skills but budgeting and leadership. She even gets the opportunity to see demonstrations from Disney chefs.
“I love Disney World and as a fan since I was a kid, to a passholder, and now a student here, my dream of working there seems to be getting closer,” Molly said.
Molly said after she graduates in May 2023, she hopes to start her career at Walt Disney World and aspires to open her own bakery after gaining experience.
To gain additional hands-on experience, Molly and Faith Weber, who serve as co-presidents of the Culinary and Confectionary Arts Student Association at Valencia College, went to Washington D.C. with Faith Weber over a three-day span to participate in the construction of the gingerbread version of the U.S. Capitol.
“I was mainly in charge of preparing the wooden frame, making sure gingerbread pieces fit and pouring the isomalt into windows,” Molly said. (Isomalt is a substitute sugar made from beet sugar and is often used by bakers to create the windows for gingerbread houses).
Molly Donahue decorating the U.S. Capitol gingerbread house in Washington, D.C.
Molly said it was a wonderful experience and gave the two of them crucial experience for their future careers.
In May, Molly is expected to earn her Associate in Science degree in Baking and Pastry Management from Valencia College and an Associate in Arts degree too.
“I decided to double major and work on both degrees to serve as a backup plan, if I choose to go back to school for business,” Molly said. “This is possible because my baking classes also count as electives towards my A.A.”
Molly said she hopes to share her love of baking with others and hopefully inspire other young women to get into the pastry industry. She also has some words of encouragement for anyone nervous about pursing a culinary degree.
“You really have to do what you love,” Molly said. “If you are passionate about culinary, find your niche and make a career out of it! I mean -- dreams can come true.”
At Valencia College, we work every day to create a level playing field for college students of all backgrounds, fashioning a college where every student can succeed. And our students continue to amaze and surprise us. Read more of their stories.