Staff member Mrs. Shenna Morrison has worked at North Harford High School for 29 and a half years as a cook in the cafeteria.
After spanning almost three decades of devotion to this school, she said she has noticed improvements made in herself and the cafeteria as a whole. She states, “I have become better at leading and working, as well as directing a large group.” Morrison has come a long way since the beginning of her career here, starting with two hours spent in the dish room washing students’ trays.
Another major change Morrison has noticed was the change in the school cafeteria’s focus on nutrition. “I have seen the nutrition diets here change as they take that more into consideration, instead of just serving whatever is out there,” she adds.
As with most jobs, there are ups and downs to her work. Morrison states that her favorite part of the environment around here is “the students, the farming area and culture here, the people I get to meet, and the staff I work with.” However, she adds may be a bit biased, because the Employee of the Year is actually a Hawk graduate.
The award winner said “oh, yes,” about whether there are stressful parts to her job. According to her, these include “deliveries, getting what you need, and making sure that there is enough food every day to feed everyone.”
Morrison considers that “the first person to walk into the cafeteria and the last person to walk in should have all of the same options to choose from and some days that is hard to do.” The final thing that the recipient finds stressful sometimes are “certain ones[students].” She mentioned she wouldn’t work in this path if she didn’t like the people.
Some of the special traits Morrison believed helped her to earn this award include, “thinking outside the box; I don’t panic under pressure or when a problem arises, and an overall positive attitude.”
If Morrison could nominate someone for the award next year, she commented that she would nominate a fellow member of the kitchen staff, Lisa Gayler because “I’ve seen her grow and overcome so many obstacles and she learned to think outside the box to solve problems.”
