Melissa Martinez

Details

Sous Chef, Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
Age: 29
Education: The Culinary Institute of America ACE program
Years at organization: 2

Why Selected?

According to Michael Gardner, Marketplace manager, Melissa has made a difference at MSU by:

Get to know

Q. What has been your proudest accomplishment?

My transition from a small dining operation to one of the largest on campus. I was very nervous at first, but I have had some really amazing mentors since I came to MSU, and that as has given me so much confidence in my roles and has led to how successful I have been.

Q. What's the best career advice you've been given?

You have to be tough in the kitchen, especially as a female in a male-dominated field. You don’t cry unless you’re cutting an onion; you don’t cry in kitchens because it doesn’t get you anywhere.

Q. What's been the biggest challenge you've had to overcome?

Shifting from the restaurant world to the culinary side of MSU has been my biggest challenge. They are very different, and I have had to learn a lot of new skill sets.

Q. What's been your most rewarding moment?

It was my first home football game as a new manager. I had 20 employees between two units and within an hour, diners rushed through and cleaned us out. We got ransacked; it was like a tornado. Despite the rush, the entire staff worked together like a well-oiled machine to do what needed to be done. The guests never saw the struggle. Now I feel I can get through anything—or at least football Saturdays.

Q. What's been your funniest on-the-job disaster?

It was our holiday dinner. This is one of our biggest meals of the year. I have such a great staff and they were ahead on their prep, so when I came in the day of the dinner and did not see all the cases of potatoes I had ordered, I had a small panic attack. I ordered eight more cases, so for the next few meals we were serving potatoes any way we could. 

Q. What can you look back at now and laugh at?

I have had some great moments with students and staff. The one that I laugh at most is from a full-time staff member who told me there was a leak in a sink. I ran to the back to look, and I was looking at all the drains and pipes and he was just laughing. Finally I looked in the sink itself to see the leek he put there. 

What would you like to accomplish in your career short term?

I would like to create more opportunities for our student employees as well as our full-time staff. The best part of working at MSU is even if you are not a professor you still are a teacher—and sometimes a life changer.