Dinner with Six Strangers 02/23/26

On Monday, February 23, I had the pleasure of dining with five individuals from various offices across the campus:

• Laura Carroll, Foundation,
• Raylene Coogan, Radiologic Technology,
• Melissa Lock, Registration and Records,
• Caroline Szegda, Liberty Partnerships, and 
• Blythe Taylor, Biology.

What a great experience we had!  One of the questions I always ask is, “If there were no limitations, what would you be doing (besides your current job) in terms of work…your dream job?” It’s rare that though we are so different, we have such commonalities: four out of the five would work in TRAVEL!!! One would forever be in school and reading books…maybe working in a library so access to different books would forever be present. We bonded over our pets.  We talked of our beloved children.

I thank these individuals for joining me and encourage each of you to look for the dinner announcements that come out monthly.  As I was searching for quotes related to dining together, one by Michael Pollan appeared: “The shared meal elevates eating from a mechanical process of fueling the body to a ritual of family and community.”  Last evening, it felt like we were one family sharing who we all are with each other. 

Kudos to the faculty, staff, and students at NFCI for always ensuring our dining experiences are exceptional.