Dining Facilities’ Wendy Lau

Enter to DINE go forth FULL

Food Services supervisor shares 39-year journey to bachelor’s degree and describes joy of serving students in the university's cafeteria

BY SERENA DUGAR IOANE

Wendy Lau, an alumna and the BYU–Hawaii Food Services supervisor, said she strives to deliver quality food and service to the BYUH ohana and shared her 39-year journey towards her bachelor’s degree. Her coworkers describe her as a positive, polite and understanding person. Lau shared she loves her job in every way, from upper management to their front-line workers. “It is the team who feeds hundreds of students, faculty, staff and the community members every day,” she commented.

She said her team helps BYUH to fulfill its mission, “Enter to learn, go forth to serve,” through their own mission, “Enter to dine, go forth full.” She said, “I am a foodie and enjoy food from growing, preparing, all the way to delivering and eating. I have a passion for food and love gardening, so ‘farm to table’ is natural for me.”

Delivering quality food, service and care

Lau said she believes in positive leadership and effective team style management. Her goals as a supervisor for Food Services are to serve quality food and deliver quality service and care, she shared. “I strive every day to do my best to meet these goals.

Wendy Lau is a BYUH alumna who is a Food Services supervisor. She says she is a foodie and strives to do her best each day. Photos by Mark Daeson Tabbilos

“Of course, as a food service business, our customers are our No. 1 priority,” Lau explained. “Yet, we prioritize our student employees and do our best to practice positive leadership principles, build effective teamwork and to have an organized and safe work environment.”

Tselmuun Dashdorj, a freshman from Mongolia majoring in biology, said of Lau, “She is a very polite and understanding person. I used to work with her, and I love to see her treating our customers very nicely.

“She always understood and cared for me when something came up in my personal life,” Dashdorj added. “One time, I saw her playing basketball with young students, and I was impressed because I didn’t know she was good at playing basketball.”

39-year journey towards a degree

Lau is an alumna who graduated in 2013 and majored in hospitality and tourism management. She said it took 39 years for her to finish her degree, starting as a freshman in 1974, the same year the Church College of Hawaii became Brigham Young University–Hawaii.

At the end of 1976, Lau got married and started building her family. She married Lawrence Lau, whom she met as a fellow student and coworker at the Polynesian Cultural Center. Together they have four sons who are all graduates of BYUH.

She said her sons are all married and all of their wives are BYUH alumnas as well. Today, Lau and her husband have 10 grandchildren.

In 1985, Lau started a flower shop business. “It was too difficult financially and logistically to finish school with four sons, so I took classes intermittently and finally got my bachelor of science in 2013,” Lau shared. “Walking in Spring 2013 as a graduate was a highlight in my life and an achievement I always wanted.”

Lau said she worked as a cook for seven years for BYUH Food Services and became a supervisor in 2018. Prior to that, she said she worked at the Polynesian Cultural Center Food Service Department for five years. She added her husband is also a retiree of BYUH after 35 years of service as the coordinator of the BYUH TV Studio. “It was a long and rewarding career,” she said.

Maheono Ly, a senior from Tahiti majoring in finance, said of Lau, “We used to work together at the cafeteria. ... I appreciate and respect her. She is someone who always tries to stay positive when facing challenges. She even came to my wedding.

An experienced florist

Lau said she is also an experienced flower designer. She used to own a flower shop, Rainbow, Balloons & Flowers, at the Laie Shopping Center. She managed and operated it for more than 20 years.

Closing the flower shop, Lau said, was the greatest challenge of her life. The shop, she explained, started in her garage and then moved to the Laie Shopping Center. Rainbow, Balloons & Flowers, she said, served the North Shore community for years.

Lau said the shop’s motto was, “Send someone some happiness today.” Lau shared, “We were sending out aloha and happiness to our customers with leis, flowers and balloons on their special days, such as weddings, graduations and birthdays.”

Lau said the terrorist attack on Sept. 11, 2001, was the cause of her shop having to close. She explained, “It was a difficult time and my business closed because of those tragic events. COVID-19 is even worse today.” However, she said she chose to move forward and found a new career in the food service business at the Center and BYUH.

“My life has been challenging yet rewarding. I have learned a lot from all my experiences,” she commented. “My treasure has been found in my journey of faith and testimony in the gospel of Jesus Christ.” •