Lesko Arrives With One Goal, Leaves Owens With Outstanding Graduate Honor
Jennifer Lesko came to Owens Community College to learn how to scale the recipe for her husband’s barbeque sauce and mass produce it, but she left with so much more.
Lesko, of Toledo, will graduate in spring 2025 with an associate degree in Culinary Arts, as well as certificates in Baking and Pastry and Event Planning. She was named the Outstanding Graduate for the Department of Food, Nutrition and Hospitality.
According to Robert Wagner, the chair of Food, Nutrition and Hospitality, Lesko’s nomination for the special honor was a no-brainer. Lesko felt the award gave validation to her hard work.
“It showed me they were paying attention to my skills and what I’ve learned throughout the two years that I was in the program, along with all the dedication I put in,” Lesko said.
Lesko’s husband, Tony Duncan learned the barbecue recipe from his father, who created it while cooking for the B&O Railroad in Walbridge. The younger Duncan and Lesko have turned it into Duncan’s Code 3 sauce, available at local retailers.
“I came here to help him so that we could manufacture the sauce, but then it led to me being more interested in the other programs,” Lesko said. “To get all the insight into cooking, catering, event planning, is what made me go into culinary.”
Lesko said they’re working with different organizations to get the sauce halal certified and kosher certified. They’ve also created a low sugar option.
Describing the culinary experience intimidating and scary at first, Lesko’s favorite parts of the program were creating dinners for the guests at the Terrace View Café on the Toledo-area Campus. She enjoyed being hands-on and getting feedback from the guests.
“I’ve never been in a kitchen of this size, let alone with the equipment, so it was definitely an experience,” Lesko said. “Am I doing this right? Am I flipping it right? Why is it doing this? Why is this chemical reaction going on? It was definitely an experience.”
Now that Lesko has earned her degree and certificates, she will focus on the barbecue sauce and a catering business with her husband. She also hopes to either open a pastry truck or a pastry learning center, where people can come take a baking class along with a wine tasting. Call it a “bake and sip.”
No matter what Lesko decides to do, her experience and education at Owens has given her a solid foundation to do whatever she wants.
Published April 2025