From starting as a volunteer in school kitchens to being the kitchen supervisor for Troy High School, Robin Coyne proudly tries her best to make school food as enjoyable for students even with their restrictions. Coyne had started her career in school kitchen work because of all the hours of volunteer work she had to do for her kid’s high school. Throughout the 15+ years of experience, she’s been at Divine Child, Notre Dame and Brother Rice, then finally landing in Troy High School. After now being in the high school for four years, Coyne describes, “Food has gotten better and we’re getting better products than we’ve ever gotten,” no matter how much the school’s food has improved over time, she still does her best to better the food served to the students.

When asked about what is most important to her as a supervisor, she admitted, ”I like to do my best for the kids, to make it a positive experience for them and have them enjoy their lunches and do the most that we can to make it better and make it the best we can.” Even though the food they can serve is put under  health limitations, like how salt is not allowed in the food, Coyne still tries to uphold these ideas. 

Coyne even gives an example of her current efforts to make the food as enjoyable for the kids. “I’m negotiating to get us different paninis and strombolis everyday so it’s different.” After the idea of having the same food being served the entire week being proposed to her. 

She attempts to better the food from how she relates to the students on their wants or complaints over food. “I can’t imagine eating the same food. So [I’m] very passionate about that kind of stuff.”

Even though Coyne doesn’t interact with students as much because of her hearing problems she still had shared a touching story about two students who she had gotten close to after their parents passed. At the end of their time at Troy High School, “They came to say goodbye and that was very touching.” The two’s formal farewell had been really important to her because she saw how hard it was on the kids to be living without their parents and as she states, “It showed how much they appreciated us and that we do matter, that lunch ladies do impact kids’ lives.”

It was especially important for her to see lunch ladies impact as she always hopes that in the future the students can look back on the food fondly for “great experience and that, that was good food and that it was hot and enjoyable” and appreciate the efforts made to make the food the best they can besides their limitations.

Coyne looks forward to working hard to make the students food as best the staff can during her fourth year at  Troy high School, which she calls “By far one of my favorite places to be,” admiring the school for its friendly people both in the kitchen and students that she gets to meet.