Von has been here for the past semester and a half, and his impact on the cafe has been incredible. Von is usually here in the mornings, and as you know, breakfast is the most important part of the day, especially when it comes to Von’s cooking. Even when you walk up to the glass to see your options, you can feel the love and warmth that he brings with his smile and serving heart. He makes most of the food options himself, and we never have to worry about something running out or not being ready because he always has another round of it coming right up.
Another thing that makes his impact so huge is his interaction with the students. When asked about his favorite part of working for SNU, he stated “It’s definitely the students. I don’t come in every day and do what I do for myself; it is for you guys, and if this is how I can impact you guys’ day effectively, then I will continue to do what I am doing.” This is a prime example of how selfless Von is. He often wakes up around 4:30 am just to prepare great food and serve us how he sees fit.
Von heard about SNU a while back from his son. All of last year his son Bam used to work with the cafe staff before he decided to move down to the Chick-fil-A after it opened. Now his daughter works at the Chick-fil-A downstairs at night while he works morning upstairs. When asked what he feels separates him from other workers in the cafe, he humbly responded, “Aside from connecting with the students, I feel like I serve sufficient portions of food to each individual student. You never know what someone has going on outside of this encounter, so I want to make sure they leave full and without needing.”
This was confirmed by many students, one being SNU football player, Alex Batz, saying, “We as athletes eat at the cafe almost, if not, every morning, and he understands how much food is enough for a collegiate athlete. Not only that, but he is genuine and kind about it too.” Alivia, another SNU student who is not an athlete, added, “He’s so kind, and he overall just cares about what we as students have going on. Every time I go to breakfast, he always makes me laugh and leave with a positive vibe.”
Photo by Jamauri Johnson