Lunch with the
Ladies
Cafeteria duo continues serving smiles Photos & Story | Cassidy Smith
The cafeteria is one place on campus that students leave with a full belly and smiles on their faces. From the moment a student walks in, they are welcomed with open arms. Not only is the delicious food being served giving the students a smile on their faces, but the warm welcomes from Eddie Mae Robinson and Caroline Blackburn are too contagious not to smile back. These amazing ladies have been the face of the Hutchinson Community College cafeteria for the past 20 years. They have seen their fair share of hangry and stressed college students and continue to greet them with a welcoming smile. Their job includes taking the money and meal cards from students, helping clean the cafeteria, answering the phone and greeting everyone that walks into the cafeteria. “It’s a good place to work, the kids are great, they make my day,” Caroline said. “The respect I get from all the other workers, and the respect and love I get from the youth,” Eddie Mae said about what she enjoys about her job. The students love these ladies like they are family. Some even call them mom, grandma, and memaw. Every year, a new group of students flow in and out of the cafeteria. Being away from friends and family can be tough for some students, everything is differ-
Photo | Cassidy Smith Eddie Mae Robinson lights up the HutchCC Cafeteria with her contagous smile. Eddie Mae has been at HutchCC for 20 years now.
ent and some students miss the familiarity as well as a good home-cooked meal. “Miss Mae and Caroline always have smiles on their faces, it’s nice to see after a long day at class,” Christian Sampson, Maize, said. Every year hundreds of students enter the cafeteria and Caroline and Eddie Mae have made it a point to try to get to know as many as possible. They make it a point to ask their names, where they are from, how they ended up at HutchCC and just get to know a little bit about each of them. Eddie Mae even takes a student to church every Sunday, they hang out with Eddie Mae and her family. Eddie Mae takes this particular student to church and feeds them breakfast, lunch, and dinner because they miss the meals that the college provides.
10 | Dragon’s Tale | December 2021 010-011 Cafeteria Ladies.indd 11
11/19/21 12:47 PM
