Moments of Belonging That Empower Student Success

The Lopes Training Table chefs at Grand Canyon University celebrated inclusive campus dining by hosting Hispanic Heritage Pop-up events featuring authentic recipes like fan-favorite horchata, tres leches cake and street enchiladas. To capture the authenticity of the recipes ― and the cultural imperative to celebrate good friends with great food ― Sodexo’s chefs made everything from scratch and pulled inspiration from the local Hispanic culture of Phoenix.

The 2026 SASA Annual Conference celebrated the passion of Sodexo’s culinary teams and their impact on SUNY campuses. Our chefs serving Binghamton University, SUNY Oneonta, SUNY New Paltz and SUNY Delhi wowed Battle of the Chefs judges with innovative dishes, earning People’s Choice and Judge’s Choice honors. Alongside SUNY staff and students, teams delivered presentations that spotlighted the strength of the SUNY-Sodexo partnership and its role in enriching campus life and community vitality. 

Campus pride runs high at FSU as enthusiastic students participate in one of Sodexo’s many high-energy Meet Our Mascot events. Students recently played games to win awesome mascot-related merch and enjoyed the now-famous Sam the Ram-Wich — a sammie that was specially crafted by the FSU Dining team to celebrate the guest of honor. Spirits were high as students enjoyed making new friends and celebrating belonging and community on campus. 

The University of Northern Colorado Dining Services team worked closely with students, student groups, and school leadership to reinvigorate and reinvent resident dining, with their feedback guiding everything from architectural design to operations logistics. Now students have the comfort and convenience they want with three vibrant dining locations, convenient new retail venues that integrate state-of-the-art tech and new menus featuring the latest on-trend, craveable meals. 

Colorado Mesa University’s Dining team regularly partners with on-campus student groups to host inclusive Tasty Third Thursday events that celebrate culture through food, music and entertainment. One of the most popular events was the team's Native American Student Association dinner takeover in The Caf in honor of Native American Heritage Month. Student alliance members shared recipes passed down in their families for generations, and Sodexo chefs re-created those traditional favorites. 

Working in partnership with Sodexo’s dining team, Liberty University’s annual food drive was a remarkable demonstration of campus-wide generosity. Students, faculty and staff collected 8,900 pounds of food — far exceeding the 2,000-pound goal — for the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. With broad campus support, and a 550-pound, $2,000 match from Sodexo, the drive proved how collective action can be impactful for local families and helped students take action to serve their community. 

Nazareth University student Miranda Arena rocked her marketing internship with Naz Dining and gained valuable life skills as she gathered feedback from fellow students to develop, promote and manage creative, dining-centered events. Miranda raved about the hands-on experience that strengthened her marketing knowledge and project management skills. The experience even sparked new career ideas — underscoring the importance of internships in preparing students for future success!

For a growing number of students with potentially life-threatening food allergies, starting the day with a hearty, healthy breakfast isn’t easy. So, the Merrimack College Dining team has taken breakfast to the next level by offering a Simple Zone dining station with lots of delicious, allergen-free options. The station has become popular with all students — even those without food sensitivities! Now everyone can power up with traditional breakfast comfort foods and focus on making memories.