February 11, 2026
The desserts in Cather Dining Center are always impeccably decorated 鈥� on top of being delicious. But if you鈥檙e dining in Cather Dining Center this week, you might notice some especially festive desserts timed for Valentine鈥檚 Day this weekend.
For that, you can thank Michelle Kim, one of the dessert chefs on the Cather Dining team who takes pride in making your sweet treats look as good as they taste.
鈥淒ecorating allows me to bring more color and creativity to each dessert,鈥� Michelle says. 鈥淲hether it鈥檚 using sprinkles or frosting or something else, I try to give each dessert something unique that adds to the enjoyment.鈥�
Though she鈥檚 now a seasoned baker with years of experience, Michelle's culinary interests were first piqued in a very relatable way: watching baking content on YouTube.
鈥淲atching famous chefs on YouTube really inspired me to start taking baking seriously,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 just feel really happy when I鈥檓 baking. Even on my own time, I鈥檓 often baking things for my family or for my church potlucks.鈥�
Michelle got her professional start at a bakery in her home city of Seoul, South Korea, learning the basics of how to make all sorts of different desserts and pastries.
鈥淜orean desserts and American desserts have a lot of similarities, but there are some traditional Korean desserts that take a lot longer to prepare,鈥� Michelle explains. 鈥淗ere, I鈥檓 working a lot faster 鈥� and making way bigger portions.鈥�
Despite the frenetic pace of her and her team鈥檚 daily baking duties, Michelle still strives to give desserts in Cather Dining Center a little extra flair. Holidays like Valentine鈥檚 Day play right into her strengths.
鈥淭his week, we鈥檒l have heart-shaped cookies, chocolate-dipped strawberries, red velvet cake and so much more! My managers and coworkers encourage me and help me a lot when it comes to decorating 鈥� we all do as much as we can to make each dessert look fun and taste amazing.鈥�
Michelle Kim is a Cather Dining Center baker from Seoul, South Korea.