Dena's nominations read “Dena loves her job. She takes extra care to prepare delicious salads and sandwiches at the high school and she is a fantastic server. She greets the staff and students with a warm and friendly smile and conversation.  You can tell that the students appreciate and respect Dena by the way they approach the serving line and address her every day. Dena is kind and considerate of others and always willing to lend a hand when needed. Dena puts TLC into all of the specialty food that she preps. She puts a great deal of thought and pride into the substance and presentation of each meal while remaining within the Child Nutrition guidelines.  There is always a great demand for Dena’s meals and the students and staff snatch them up quickly.”

      Dena grew up cooking with her grandmother, who is still alive today at 102! She has been at Sullivan West for about 12 years. She told me if I won’t eat it, I won’t serve it. She loves the students. Her own son graduated from here in 2020. Outside of work, she loves taking care of her veggie garden and even has a small indoor greenhouse. It was a pleasure getting to know more about Dena and it is an honor to have her in our kitchen!