SMU Dining celebrates a team member’s milestone of not only 40 years of dedicated service, but 40 years of kindness, friendship, and community.
From January 4th, 1984, to January 4th, 2024, Shirley Boudreau has been a significant member of the SMU Dining Team.
Before becoming the face of the well-known C-Store in the Loyola Colonnade, Shirley began her employment with SMU Dining working in the cafeteria, now known as Dockside Dining Hall. From there, Shirley operated Orange County, a coffee and donut cart which then transformed into a storefront called “Easy Go”, a grab & go counter located beside Tim Hortons in the Loyola Colonnade.
Shirley has been a part of SMU Dining’s evolution over the years. Shirley was in her 30s when she began her career with SMU Dining and from the very beginning, she has been a “mother figure” to many.
Now, 40 years later, Shirley has had the pleasure of watching students graduate from SMU, begin their own careers, and start families of their own. Today, those relationships continue as Shirley meets and serves the children and even grandchildren of those students she met years ago.
Whether it’s a regular stop for a morning cup of coffee or a daily high five from the Point Pleasant Child Care group, members of the SMU campus community young and old have developed long-lasting relationships and traditions with Shirley.
Along with her inspiring number of friendships within the SMU community, Shirley has demonstrated remarkable dedication and devotion to her work. Shirley takes great pride in her perfect attendance, not for just a year or two, but over the course of her 40 years of service!
Shirley arrives to campus well before her shift each morning and ensures the C-Store is in tip-top shape when she leaves each afternoon.
One of SMU Dining’s most notable memories of Shirley’s devotion to her work was in September of 2003, when Hurricane Juan made landfall in Nova Scotia. Joe Makary, General Manager, recalls making the trek to campus the morning of the storm, to ensure students were fed. Due to the extensive damages, power outages, and devastation brought on by Hurricane Juan, Joe expected to be the only staff on campus that early in the morning.
To his surprise, when he arrived, Joe was not alone. Shirley had made her way to campus in the early hours of the morning and set up camp in the campus chapel to sleepover and ensure she was on campus to serve the students despite the storm. The night of Hurricane Juan is one of many times that Shirley has shown her truly admirable commitment and devotion to the campus community.
On January 4th, 2024, the SMU Dining Team gathered to recognize & celebrate Shirley’s accomplishment. The C-Store was transformed into a 40th Anniversary celebration complete with balloons, streamers, and cupcakes. Throughout the day, people from all different times in Shirley’s career stopped in to congratulate her. Stories were shared, gifts were exchanged, and countless hugs were had. Joe Makary, General Manager of SMU Dining, presented Shirley with a new plaque of recognition to mount on her already impressive wall of plaques, but this one displays her latest accomplishment, 40 Years of Outstanding & Dedicated Service.
When asked about her time working here Shirley states that “working with SMU Dining and Aramark has been a very fulfilling career”. She thoroughly enjoys getting to come to work each day to interact with the students, staff, and community members that pass through her store. Despite her 40 years of dedicated service with a notable perfect attendance, Shirley says she “has no plans of retiring anytime soon”.
Congratulations and thank you Shirley!