Catholic University named a dining room after 'Ms. Willie,' who has worked in its cafeterias and dining halls for almost 49 years.
She manages the rushes when the Chick-fil-A opens, at lunch and when classes end in the afternoon. But her real work is constant: A student called out, “Hey, Ms. Willie!” and Joyner smiled.Ms. Willie, as everyone calls her, has thousands of babies. All day at work she greets, comforts, counsels and laughs with people coming in to eat. Next month will mark her 49th year at Catholic, where she has loved and hugged generations of students away from home for the first time.
He missed his family and small town, he told a crowd celebrating the opening of Garvey Hall on Monday, and Joyner sensed that.She comforted him when he hobbled in on crutches after a rugby injury, when a crush didn’t work out and when he blew a midterm. She remembered him coming into the dining hall with his hands behind his back one day, hiding flowers. “He gave me my first Mother’s Day bouquet,” she said.
John Maggio, a freshman, said, “She just has such a giving heart.” When he’s getting food, she’ll call out, “You have a good day!” Or she’ll ask, “How was your test?” That means making sure students enjoy college, Joyner said, even when they’re feeling lonely or worried about class or uncertain of the future. It’s not about race, or money, or expectations, she said. “Do your best, and let God do the rest,” she tells them.
“For nearly five decades, Willie Joyner has blessed Catholic University students with a shining example” of that, Gillespie said. “Long after she has retired — if she ever retires! — Willie’s spirit will infuse that physical space.”
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