When Kaylee Grebner graduated from Canton high school this past spring, she already had one year of college course work completed, thanks to the Running Start partnership between Canton HS and Spoon River College. While that in itself is a significant accomplishment, it’s just one of several for this busy and ambitious young woman.
Grebner is also the owner Kaylee’s Country Cupcakes, which she started when she was just 14 years old. It’s a passion she discovered at the age of nine when she began decorating cakes as a 4-H project.
Grebner, who lives in rural Glasford, said the hardest part of starting her business wasn’t the hours of baking and decorating. “It was getting all the approvals and certifications required for a food business, which in my case included having city water run to our farm.”
Kaylee’s Country Cupcakes has been a regular at the Canton Main Street Farmers Market since 2022, and Grebner also attends other local markets and events, including Graham Hospital’s Service League fundraiser (where she sells out quickly!), as well as doing custom orders. In 2024, her lemon and blueberry cupcakes earned her the Best Dessert Award at the annual Taste of Canton.
Grebner is just as dedicated to her education and extracurricular activities. As an 8th grader, she was the recipient of the Steven R. Nagle Distinguished Student of the Month Award, and in high school she was named a Golden Apple Scholar and was an Outstanding Senior Award recipient. Besides being an energetic 4-H member, Grebner was also active in FFA. Her awards included Star Green Hand, Chapter Star Farmer, and State FFA Degree candidate—something that fewer than 3% of FFA members earn. She was the District 3 winner in Food Service Entrepreneur, and state runner-up for her Food Service Entrepreneurship record book. In addition, she works full-time at Canton Family Restaurant.
Grebner will graduate next spring with her associate degree and plans to transfer to a four-year university to major in Elementary Education. Those who enjoy her cupcakes will be glad to hear that a teaching career won’t be the end of her baking career. “I look forward to teaching and will enjoy it, and I’m also glad I’ll have the summers off so I can continue to build my business!”
Grebner doesn’t do anything half-way, and somewhere in the future, a classroom full of children are going to get the best treats ever from the best teacher ever.
Shop local, support your Farmers Markets, and visit Kaylee’s Country Cupcakes on Facebook.
Running Start is a partnership between Canton High School and Spoon River College that provides an opportunity for academically qualified seniors to enroll in college classes through SRC as part of their high school coursework. This unique partnership between the Canton #66 and SRC allows high school students to attend college classes during the fall, spring, and summer while earning both high school and college credits.