Every day at Manual, students pass through the cafeteria during breakfast and lunch. Behind the counter, there’s a team of cafeteria workers who arrive early each morning to prepare food, organize ingredients and serve meals to students throughout the day. While students may only interact with them for a few moments in the lunch line, the cafeteria staff plays a crucial role in the daily routine of the school.
Desiree Dean, the cafeteria manager, has worked for the school district for about 15 years and is now in her third year working at Manual. She helps to oversee the kitchen while also working along with the rest of the staff to prepare food and organize meals for the day.
“The moment I walk in, I clock in and start preparing,” Dean said. “I get in at 6 o’clock, and between six and about 6:30 I have to have basically all the breakfast cooked and on the line ready.”
Dean originally had a different career in mind. When she was in high school, she wanted to become an engineer and took advanced classes like physics, chemistry and calculus. However, she wasn’t sure her family could afford college, and at the time, she didn’t know enough about financial aid…