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From Experience to Impact: The Internship Advantage
Recognition That Goes Beyond “Thank You.” Reach That Goes Beyond Dining.
There are moments throughout the year that give us the opportunity to pause, reflect, and recognize what truly drives success. National Employee Appreciation Day is one of those moments — and this year March 6th was especially meaningful across our campus communities.
From SUNY Oneonta to Delhi, New Paltz, and Plattsburgh, I had the privilege of seeing firsthand how our teams came together to celebrate the people who bring energy, care and a commitment to excellence to our operations every day. What stood out the most wasn’t just the creativity of the celebrations. It was also the genuine appreciation, connection and pride shared across every campus.
The dining employees make my day! They always remember our names, which always makes the day a little brighter.
Celebrating the People Who Power Our Campuses
At its core, appreciation isn’t about a single day. It’s about making people feel seen, valued and connected to something bigger than themselves every day. And across SUNY campuses, that spirit came to life in thoughtful and personal ways during National Employee Appreciation Week (March 2-6), including:
- Prizes, awards and handwritten notes recognizing years of dedicated service and individual contributions.
- Customized swag bags and small (but very meaningful) tokens of gratitude.
- Interactive events that encouraged personal exchanges between dining teams and the people they serve.
- Opportunities for students, faculty and the community to communicate how valuable dining teams are to the campus experience.
Turning Gratitude into Moments That Matter
While recognition is important, connection is what transforms appreciation into something lasting. So, Sodexo made sure NEAD Week was filled with gatherings that brought people together and helped them connect through shared experiences.
For example, SUNY Oneonta’s campus-wide celebration brought together staff from Sodexo’s resident dining, retail locations, catering and bakery operations to enjoy a staff-selected, catered lunch, a creative “Butter Together” popcorn bar, lots of interactive activities and even a puppy petting station that quickly became the highlight of the day.
In addition, SUNY Oneonta recognized six Sodexo dining employees at its fifth annual Pillar Awards, where graduating students honor those who’ve had a meaningful impact on their lives. Beloved cashier Betsy Brown — nominated every year of the awards — received a special Pillar Award.
At SUNY Plattsburgh, hundreds of students, staff and faculty eagerly celebrated Sodexo’s dining teams with sweet treats, swag and lots of engaging events that allowed everyone on campus to express their appreciation and create fun memories in the dining hall.
Authentic Appreciation Fuels Pride, Purpose & Performance
At SUNY Delhi, dining staff really felt the power of their school slogan, “It’s a great day to be a Bronco!” with food, fun and recognition of all their hard work. The handwritten notes from diners all across campus seemed to resonate most deeply with staff and the banner now hangs in a place of pride in the dining hall.
At SUNY New Paltz, weeks of planning led to a celebration filled with personal touches, from thank-you cards written by campus partners to shared moments of laughter at a photo booth. Team members were also treated to an extravagant sweet treat station that included all the goodies they told us they love.
These efforts reinforce something Sodexo truly believes in: appreciation is most powerful when it’s personal and authentic.
Campus-Wide Gratitude
One of the most inspirational aspects of this year’s NEAD events was the involvement of the broader campus community. Students, faculty, college leadership and even community partners joined in to express their gratitude to our dining teams by writing thank-you cards, attending campus celebrations and stopping by dining locations to tell staff how much they’re appreciated.
At SUNY Oneonta, participation extended all the way to college leadership, with SUNY Oneonta President Dr. Alberto Cardelle attending events along with several SUNY Board of Trustees members, university police officers and many faculty members. And of course, lots of students came out to celebrate their favorite dining team members — they even interviewed one another and posted a touching thank you video on Instagram!
Not to be outdone, SUNY New Paltz students also took to Instagram to make sure their favorite dining staff knew how much the Hungry Hawks appreciate them and how they make their campus experience positive, meaningful and memorable every day.
A lot of our students signed the NEAD banner and many included notes to show their appreciation of specific employees, showing how close our campus community is.
The Impact of Feeling Valued
These moments are powerful reminders that the work our teams do every day shapes experiences, builds relationships and strengthens the entire campus community. And while National Employee Appreciation Day may be one day on the calendar, Sodexo embodies its meaning by supporting and celebrating our staff every day — because we know that when employees feel appreciated, their impact extends far beyond a single day and far beyond the dining hall.
How SUNY campuses create belonging every day
From dining hall moments to campus traditions, explore how SUNY creates spaces where everyone can connect and belong.
