Apron of Honor: Huish given food services employee of the year award

A big surprise was in store for Lovell Elementary School lunchroom worker Holly Huish midway through her morning shift Tuesday. A baker for the lunchroom staff, Huish was presented with the Apron of Honor Award as the food services employee of the year by the Wyoming Department of Education.

Dept. of Education Child Nutrition Program consultant Gen Sheets of Powell presented the award just after 9 a.m. Tuesday as School District No. 2 Food Service Director Rose Rusch and colleagues looked on.

“Holly is a shining example of kindness, positivity and dedication within our school nutrition program,” Sheets read from a narrative prepared by Rusch. “She approaches each day with a positive attitude and a genuine commitment to the health and happiness of our students. Always eager to learn and grow, Holly tests new recipes to improve food quality and reduce added sugars, reflecting her strong belief in the benefits of heathy foods for children.

“She works collaboratively with her director to produce top-quality baked goods, listens thoughtfully to direction and contributes meaningful questions and ideas that strengthen the overall operation. Holly’s willingness to adapt, improve and innovate helps ensure that students receive the very best meals possible.”

Beyond her work, Huish is a positive influence among co-workers, school staff members and students, Rusch wrote, calling her a “thoughtful, joyful presence who treats both staff and students with respect and care.” Added Rusch, “She is quick to offer a smile, lend a hand or step in when needed. Her co-workers deeply appreciate her positivity, reliability and team-first attitude. She always looks on the bright side of any situation, making her a source of encouragement and support for everyone around her.”

Rusch recounted an example of Huish’s character when she was speaking with a student who was experiencing some struggles. When a staff member attempted to intervene and correct the child, Huish gently, respectfully and kindly reminded the adult that she had the situation under control and that the student had done nothing wrong.

“The look of relief on the student’s face in that moment spoke volumes about Holly’s compassion and her ability to make students feel safe, valued and understood,” Rusch wrote.

In a follow-up interview, Huish confirmed that her role in the district food services department is that of a baker, noting, “I’m the one who’s baking all the breads and cookies, and anytime we can do a dessert.”

The daughter of Glen and Pam Hopkinson of Byron, Huish and her family moved to Wyoming from Mesa, Arizona, around 12 years ago, and after a brief stint in New Braunfels, Texas, the family moved back “home” five years ago, she said. She’s been working for the school for three years, she said, and has one grown son and kids in high school, middle school and elementary school in Lovell.

She said she worked in restaurants as a young woman but her only baking experience came from her family kitchen. She first applied for a general food service job, then later got the job as a baker.

Huish said after being hired that she quickly realized she had similar food service ideas as Rusch.

“As soon as I started working here, we just realized really quickly we had the same idea about foods and nutrition, and that’s a huge thing, just because I have very picky eaters,” she said. “My children are so extremely picky, so it’s hard to merge the two, you know, and have healthy foods that they like to eat. And so it’s been good to work with her, teaching (students) that nutritious food can be good. And it’s definitely better than the packaged stuff.

“A lot of times with picky eaters, it’s so easy to go to the packaged stuff, the chicken nuggets and this stuff, and I did for years and years. And so it’s getting back into feeding our kids actual nutritious stuff, so that they really learn what’s going to feed their bodies.”

There is much intentionality in how the school meals are prepared, Huish said.

“We’re taking out a lot of the seed oils, because those aren’t really good for us,” she said. “We’re using more butter versus, like, vegetable oil, and then we cut out a lot of the sugars. We’re using honey or other sweeteners like date sugar or maple sugar. So we’re just trying to find some other healthier ways to give them that look, the taste that they’re going for, the sweet taste, or whatever they’re going for, but in a way that is healthier.”

Asked what her favorite thing to bake is, Huish thought for a moment and replied, “I love doing rolls. It’s just such a fun process here, because I’m making so many it takes my whole morning, and I just love it. It’s like I’m playing in dough all morning.”

Huish said cooking for the students makes her job a pleasure.

“I do want to say that the kids make it all worth it, because it is a lot of work,” she said. “We get here really early, before everyone else. On days when I’m getting cinnamon rolls done, I’m here at 5:30 if not earlier. So we’re here early, but it’s so worth it to see the kids and interact with them and just be a small part of feeding them and making them happy. That’s the good thing about the food part; you just get to make them happy.”