Emmanuel College Attracts Talent from Around the Globe

The Bon Appétit team at Emmanuel College in Boston, MA, form a veritable United Nations of passion and talent.

Kitchen Supervisor John Cardosa, Catering Director Jeffrey Smith, Chef/Manager Peter Fernandes and Head Baker Joe Abdul-Massih

Our location brings us a diverse group hailing from Lebanon, Guinea, Bosnia, Cape Verde, Haiti, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Honduras, El Salvador, and Kenya. What’s truly astounding is how many of this diverse group of people have found a true home, and not just a job, at Bon Appétit.

Take head baker Joseph Adul-Massih, who’s from Lebanon. He started with Bon Appétit in 1995 when we opened one of our first East Coast college accounts. Or John Cardoso from Cape Verde, an island off the coast of Western Africa. He started as a dish room attendant when he was 20 and now, 17 years later, he’s our kitchen supervisor — and a husband and father of three. Then there’s Peter Fernandes, also from Cape Verde. At age nine, he began visiting his father here at work. When he turned 16, he joined us as a kitchen cleaner. Today he’s a college graduate and our chef/manager.

Meanwhile, I started at MIT in August of 2002 as a cleaner. Very quickly, I moved onto the deli and salad prep station and worked there while I was attending college. After I graduated I became assistant manager at Lesley University and today I’m the dining room manager here at Emmanuel.

We might all come from different countries, but a few common threads united us: a great work ethic, pride in what we do, a strong sense of customer service, and a true love for being here. With all of our differences, that’s the glue that holds us together.

By Jennifer Martinez, Dining Room Manager