Meet the Nutrition Professionals Who Rock the School

WILMINGTON, N.C., July 06, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- It is no small feat to feed our nation’s children during an average school year. Add a global pandemic on top of that, and making sure students are well fed and ready to learn becomes a major challenge. That is why TITAN—a LINQ Solution-launched Lunchroom Rockstars, a peer-to-peer nomination program that shines a spotlight on school nutrition professionals who are making a significant impact in their districts and communities.

“We wanted a way to honor the hardest working people in the industry,” said Krista Endsley, CEO of LINQ. “Lunchroom Rockstars places these stellar individuals directly in the spotlight, giving nominees the recognition they deserve while also buoying the perception of nutrition programs everywhere.”

As schools prepare to welcome students in person once again, there is no time like the present to celebrate the industrious individuals who fed our children against all odds during the past 18 months. Without further ado, allow us to introduce you the winners of Lunchroom Rockstars for the ‘20-’21 school year.

Meet the Lunchroom Rockstars of ‘20-’21

Carla Word, River Road ISD

Carla Word, the meat cook and Snack Shack manager for River Road ISD in Amarillo, Texas, was nominated by a total of five colleagues, each noting the nominee’s kindness and her passion for their district’s nutrition program.

Arely Diaz, Vice Principal for River Road Middle School, said she is grateful for Word’s loving heart each day.

“[Carla] loves the kids like a grandmother would,” Diaz said. “She is devoted and committed to her work and takes great pride in serving delicious and quality food to our students.”

Word said she views everyone on campus as one big family, and that she is fueled by showing each student, coworker, and teacher the love they deserve.

“My passion is putting love in all the food we prepare for the children because we do not know their situations at home and if that will be the only meal they receive that day,” Word said.

Patricia Perez, Medina Valley ISD

Patricia Perez, a Food Service Helper at Medina Valley ISD in Castroville, Texas, is impassioned to do the work the does for those students who struggle with food insecurity outside of school.

“Knowing that kids don’t always get food at home is my main reason [for working in school nutrition],” Perez said. “I’m fueled by putting our kids first and making sure we give them quality so that they actually love to come eat [in the cafeteria].”

Medina Valley ISD Assistant Director of Nutrition Services, Sandra Speed, said Patricia always comes to work with a positive attitude and is a great motivator for food service staff members.

“[Patricia] has wonderful ideas on how to make things work better and is always up for a challenge,” Speed said. “She is a true leader in the foodservice industry and continues to learn as much as she can.”

Christine Clarahan, School City of Hammond

Christine Clarahan, Director of Food and Nutrition for School City of Hammond, Indiana, stepped up with a reduced team to continue feeding students as COVID-19 closed their schools. According to No Kid Hungry, Clarahan's team struggled with staffing shortages and a reduced number of serving sites. And yet, they continued serving breakfast and lunch three times a week to 2,400 students a day.

“There is nothing more important to me than meeting the most basic needs of children – nourishing their growing bodies,” Clarahan said. ”I have worked in a variety of settings with children and have seen children who have experienced true hunger. Once you see that, you will do anything to end it.”

It’s Clarahan’s drive to ameliorate child hunger and food insecurity in her community is what makes her a true Lunchroom Rockstar. She said was raised to be all in when she is passionate about something.

“My family raised me to put 100% into whatever I am passionate about in life – and I am passionate about making sure that no kid goes hungry in my community,” Clarahan said. “I continue to strive to do my best each day to “walk the walk” and be an example for my team.”

Join us to Celebrate Lunchroom Rockstars at LINQ’D UP

After a long, arduous year for school nutrition professionals, it is time to have some fun! We are celebrating the Lunchroom Rockstars at an event called LINQ’D UP sponsored by LINQ, NxtGen Network and Tyson. LINQ’D UP is on July 16 from 5-7pm EST.

Marlon Gordon, Owner and CEO of NxtGen Network, emphasized the importance of recognizing the number of school nutrition teams that persevered during the pandemic.

"Child Nutrition has proved to be capable of adapting and even evolving under trying times and we are excited to honor those that have the passion and grit to feed children across the country," Gordon said.

Jen Smith, a Customer Development Manager K-12 for Tyson Foods, noted she is excited to connect with school nutrition administrators once again.

“We have had to really change how we connect with administrators in a meaningful way over the past year,” Smith said. “LINQ’D UP offers us the unique opportunity to provide educational content to school nutrition professionals in a virtual and in-person environment.”

LINQ’D UP is a hybrid networking event specifically for school nutrition professionals. During this free, live-streamed event, we will honor and highlight each of the Lunchroom Rockstars winners. Plus, there will be games, huge giveaways, and more.

Click here to learn more about LINQ’D UP.

About LINQ
LINQ is the invisible engine that powers stronger schools.
For over 25 years, our mission has been to empower the everyday heroes who make K-12 districts and schools stronger. Combining best-in-class technology with industry-leading expertise, we help school administrators rise to the challenges of today, while building the foundation for a better tomorrow. Improving efﬁciency, optimizing performance, and managing compliance through our suite of administrative, ﬁnancial, and nutritional solutions to help you make a bigger impact for your staff, students and communities. To find out more about LINQ’s integrated suite, visit LINQ.com or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

About NxtGen Network
NxtGen Network is a creative agency built on relationships that is passionate about telling stories and empowering others through innovation. To find out more about NxtGen Network, visit nxtgennetwork.com or follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

About Tyson Foods
Tyson Foods, Inc., (NYSE: TSN) is one of the world’s largest food companies and a recognized leader in protein. Founded in 1935 by John W. Tyson and grown under three generations of family leadership, the company has a broad portfolio of products and brands like Tyson^®, Jimmy Dean^®, Hillshire Farm^®, Ball Park^®, Wright^®, Aidells^®, ibp^®, and State Fair^®. Tyson Foods innovates continually to make protein more sustainable, tailor food for everywhere it’s available and raise the world’s expectations for how much good food can do. Headquartered in Springdale, Arkansas, United States, the company has 139,000 team members. Through its Core Values, Tyson Foods strives to operate with integrity, create value for its shareholders, customers, communities and team members and serve as a steward of the animals, land and environment entrusted to it. To learn more about Tyson, visit TysonFoods.com or follow them on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.