January 2023
Matthew Hodges
Permanent Employee, Case Dining Hall
Matthew‘s Nomination:
“Matthew is an amazing chef! He is clearly talented in cooking, but he is also extremely friendly (e.g., comes out to the floor periodically to mingle w/ myself & other student-athletes). He is extremely professional and goes above & beyond to satisfy (customer service) his constituents (students & myself; diners). For instance, I mentioned “vegetables” while we were chatting, and he brought out the most amazing dish of vegetables — which totally kickstarted “power’n up” for the day! He is thoughtful, a pleasure to be around, and certainly adds value to his team!”
Blake Drew
Temporary Employee, Talley Main Kitchen
Blake’s Nomination
“Blake has worked with us for a couple of years, and he has helped out in all areas of the Talley Catering kitchen. Dish room, hot food prep, and the pastry shop. What makes Blake so awesome is that despite the crazy demand of our kitchen that at times become intense, he always comes around the corner with great words of encouragement and loves to tell people in the kitchen they are great. When he comes in for his shift, before he puts down his knife case and settles in for his first task, he walks around the kitchen and says good morning to every single person in the kitchen and by their name. He is always offering to help everyone. Blake gets excited to learn new things, and no matter how hard your day is, his joy and excitement for his job and co-workers are extremely contagious. You can’t help but to smile and thank him. I wish every area of campus could have a Blake! He makes our kitchen great, and he makes us want to be better managers, co-workers, and friends.”
Sai Rithwik Pokala
Student Employee, Oval Food Hall
Sai’s Nomination:
“Sai Rithwik Pokala is the student manager for The Oval; he handles hiring and staffing, supporting problem resolution and decision-making, coaching, and developing existing employees for Oval’s student assistant manager, lead associates, and dining associates. Over the holiday break, he worked on hiring and staffing for the Spring semester, ensuring all I-9s were completed and arranging student orientation, preparing the new hires and Oval for a successful semester. I am sending this shout-out for a job well done!”