Here at Selma High, we have a great group of employees that work in the food service located in the school cafeteria. Nancy Sanchez is an employee here who has worked for the district for about ten years now. Her title here is known as “Food Service Assistant II”, or also known as a “first cook.”
“In this position I’m in charge of preparing and making the main food from scratch, which is different everyday for the students, along with the other first cook,” explained Sanchez.
Preparing food in a specific time frame can be frantic at times in the kitchen. Sanchez explained how everyday they start from scratch making sure they follow the recipe and measurements correctly for the students. Sanchez also takes into consideration when making meals whether students will actually enjoy what’s being made or would despise it.
“When I make food I make it with my own kids in mind,” expressed Sanchez,”
“I wouldn’t want to make something that I wouldn’t feed my kids. I only want to produce the best,”explained Sanchez
In these ten years of working in food service, Sanchez has had her difficulties with balancing personal life and work life like any other job. The difficulty of balancing personal and work life is that her personal life will always be involved in her job. This is because she has worked with her sibling, Susana Zamora, for quite some time. Finding a balance between both lives can be difficult at times, however being able to work alongside her sibling has never got in the way of her job.
“Working nine years together, we may not see eye to eye on everything, but we are always able to work out our differences and come to a resolution,” explained Sanchez.
One of Sanchez’s favorite parts about her job is having interactions with staff and students on a daily basis. Sanchez mentioned how being able to make connections with students, no matter how big or small, during work is something that will always brighten her day. Along with the social aspect of her job, Sanchez also enjoys the atmosphere of the employees she works with.
“I enjoy that this kitchen is fast paced. It makes it seem like [the] time goes by so much faster when you’re constantly moving,” stated Sanchez.
Focusing outside of her job, vacations and breaks are something that Sanchez is always pleased to hear about. During vacations throughout the year, it’s very important to Sanchez that she spends time with her own children and close family knowing that she is able to get much more time off than other jobs would allow. During Sanchez’s free time after spending time with family, she enjoys self-care days for herself to help her unwind. Shopping falls heavily into the bracket for Sanchez when it comes to giving self-care.
“I wouldn’t say it’s a hobby, but more of a shopping problem,” expressed Sanchez with a laugh.”
“It doesn’t help when I have a teenage daughter that encourages my spendings.”
