In lunch lady land, it’s not just about making the food for students. For Cafeteria Manager Wendie Bening, it’s about getting to know students and building relationships.

Q: What have you learned about students through your job?
I’ve learned they’re basically all great kids and they have a variety of tastes.

Q: What is your favorite thing about your job?
The kids and people. I love working with kids.

Q: What’s one thing people wouldn’t know about your job?
There’s a lot of paperwork.

Q: How do the cafeteria workers interact with each other?
We’re kind of  like a family. For the most part, we’re always laughing.

Q: What makes your job unique?
I love my job. I really like the high schools. If you talk, they talk back. And if you smile, they smile back. It’s like we are extending our [lunch lady] family to the students. Some ladies even know a few kids well enough that they know what they did over the weekend.