John (@realstirfryguy)
John is a Sodexo Cook in the catering department on the UNB Fredericton campus.
What does #OnlyHere mean to you?
To me #OnlyHere celebrates the amazing community we have here at UNB.
I’m a cook at UNB Fredericton and I’ve worked at a lot of different places on campus. I was once the stir fry guy at the SUB, which is probably where I gained the most infamy, but I work in the catering department now.
We service the whole campus so I get to meet and connect with not only students but everyone who works on campus. It’s a part of the job I really like.
What I try to do when I’m working with the public is to treat everyone equally and build relationships. I like to talk with students about what they like and what they’re interested in to create a relationship that’s more than just, “Hey, how you doin’? What would you like in your stir fry?” I enjoy getting people to open up because it gives me a chance to learn.
There’s a constant opportunity here for people to come together.
When I interact with someone who’s from another place or who’s had a different experience than me, I get to learn from that person. Even though I’m not a student working towards a degree, in my job I feel like I’m always learning. I really enjoy getting the chance to meet and talk to people from other places, or with different religious, social and cultural backgrounds, which is why UNB is such a great place to work. There’s a constant opportunity here at UNB for different people to come together and form this unique community.
The Fredericton campus is idyllic and iconic.
I also think there is an experience that’s exclusive to UNB. To me, the Fredericton campus is idyllic and iconic. The way it’s built on the hill and the way it makes you feel when you roll up on campus makes you think, “Woah! This is where I get to go to school! This is where I get to come to work every day!” I think that’s an amazing experience and a defining factor of UNB all on its own.
The intersection of different people, their opinions, ways of life and the fact that all of us who work or go to school here get to be a part of this awesome community is something we should continue to celebrate and I think #OnlyHere does just that.
