At Lasell College, there are a variety of administrators and staff members who make it a well-established community. The experience of a dining hall staff member is a mind-opening story that may make students appreciate those who serve the campus with warm and comforting food.
The story of the young, ambitious, dining hall staff member Kerlin Santana serves as an inspiration to those willing to listen. Santana is a staff member of the Sodexo Catering Company that serves Lasell’s dining hall. She invites members of the community into the dining hall with a warm smile, wishing all a pleasant day while swiping cards at the register. An average day for Santana is working the register, refilling the source of energy for college students (otherwise known as the coffee dispensers), organizing tables, and catering.
“Catering is the most interesting part,” said Santana about her favorite part of the job. “I love organizing and everything about it.” Although catering is her favorite task, running the register gives Santana the opportunity to easily describe Lasell students, based on their attitudes when walking through the dining hall.
“I would definitely say three words to describe the student population are friendly and respectful, and I think the students are a fun group of people,” she said. Without the dining hall staff, the community would not only lack access to comforting food but also a positive atmosphere of warm wishes. Prior to getting this position last February, Santana lived on the island of the Dominican Republic in the city of Santo Domingo.
From the age of seven, Santana would visit Boston to see her father. Three years ago, she decided to make the courageous decision of leaving the island to pursue an education in Boston. Santana is currently studying at Roxbury Community College, and is in her second year studying the English language. This determined woman is the perfect example of the millions of youth that come to the United States from Spanish-speaking countries in hopes of earning a degree to develop a career for a successful and prosperous livelihood. Santana’s desire is to study hospitality and have a career in hotel services. She is strictly focused on obtaining a degree, in hopes of having a career outside of Sodexo Catering.
The fire that ignites the passion behind Santana’s perseverance to accomplish these goals is her mother, who is currently in the Dominican Republic, filing papers to move to the United States. Santana wants to establish a life of her own to be able to provide for her mother in Boston. One would imagine that the constant work between school and the dining hall would lead an individual to become overwhelmed. However, Santana’s positive attitude never fails, making her a refreshing inspiration to others.
Although her life may be filled with a busy schedule of endless tasks and assignments, Santana pursues her personal goals with a positive outlook to improve her quality of life.
“We always have to have a happy and upbeat attitude to get things done. If not, nothing will be accomplished,” she said in regards to giving advice to others. The dining hall staff members all have stories that may be as inspiring as Santana’s. Without these stories, students may not fully appreciate what others may do for them, and will not be exposed to personal experiences that teach lessons of adversity, willpower, and achieving goals.
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