If you could travel anywhere, where would you go? Adam Redavid, assistant manager for the Braiden Dining Center answered, “I’d love to go to Rome, or Tokyo or New Orleans — any city known for amazing food, really — and just spend a week or two immersing myself in the history, culture, and of course the cuisine!”

This response is fitting. Redavid is a State Classified employee in Residential Dining Services where he served as a cook for the past six years — and in July became assistant manager.

“The biggest thing I learned as a cook was the importance of mise en place. Mise en place is a culinary term meaning roughly ‘everything in its place,’” he said. “The idea is that before making a dish or tackling a lunch rush, you want to have all your equipment ready, all your ingredients prepped and measured out, and your station neat and organized. It’s a lesson you can apply to almost any area of your life. I do most of my cooking at home now, but still try to have everything ready to go before I start cooking. It makes the whole process more enjoyable. If you’ve never ‘mised’ out a meal at home, I highly recommend it.”

The fall semester is Residential Dining’s busiest time of year. In a typical day, Redavid divides his time between the office and the dining room. One moment he might be interviewing a prospective employee over Microsoft Teams and the next restocking silverware. The end of the semester represents a chance to relax and recharge after a busy five months. The slower pace over winter break gives their team an opportunity to focus on training and development, both for student and State Classified employees. Residential Dining employs many student employees, giving them opportunities for advancement as supervisors and managers. Working with the students is Redavid’s favorite aspect of his job.

“Seeing the growth and development that occurs in the time students work with us is the most rewarding part of my role. I’m grateful for the energy and enthusiasm they bring to our work — and they help me stay up to date on my memes. Conversely, saying goodbye to graduating student staff members is one of the most difficult parts of my role. It never gets easier.”

Redavid’s own experience as an alumnus of CSU — class of 2013 — adds to his perspective now that he’s an employee, and he appreciates how Residential Dining is able to contribute to student success.

“Going from a degree in history to a career in food service isn’t the most obvious career path,” he said, “but food is about more than just nutrition: It also connects to the past, to each other, and to the world around us.”

At the most basic level, they provide delicious and nutritious dining options so students can focus on their studies, yet their mission also includes creating opportunities for learning and engagement. That might mean trying a new dish for the first time or considering a new perspective such as how the food we eat impacts climate change.

Classified Personnel Council wants to give a shout out to Redavid and his team for their service to the CSU community — for feeding our bodies and our minds with new foods and new perspectives.