“Food is symbolic when words are inadequate.” -Alan D. Wolfelt

For over 10 years school lunches have been free. We know the food, so why do we not know the person behind the food?

Meet Cherie Villafuerte.

She’s the Nutrition Manager for the school lunch program. She’s worked for District 2 for 11 years and at Harrison High School for 5 of them. Before she worked for Harrison, she catered for Otero Elementary and Fox Meadows Middle School. Everyday, she manages a staff and serves up more than 800 lunches to students.

Before she started working for the district, she taught preschool, ran a daycare, and built medical equipment. She also has a BA as a medical specialist. Villafuerte said that the transition from working in the middle to becoming a high school Nutrition Manager was not difficult. 

One student followed her from all the schools she’s worked at to Harrison. “That’s how good the food is,” she says.  Her son and niece both attend Harrison. She considers each student from pre-school up to high school to be her kids.  “A simple thank you goes a long way,” she said.

Without the kitchen staff and their hard work, some students wouldn’t have a meal to look forward to. Thank you Cherie and thank you to everyone who works alongside you every day to keep the students of Harrison High School fed.