In the D.C. region, conversations often start with, “What do you do?” WTOP’s series “Working Capital” profiles the people doing the work that makes the region unique.
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Standing behind tall shelves and ovens in the back of the cafeteria at Bristow Run Elementary School, Rafaela Herrera is taking cooked hamburger patties off a long baking sheet and placing them onto buns with cheese that she had previously laid out.
It’s minutes before the lunch rush at the Prince William County, Virginia, school, when hundreds of hungry students will eagerly approach the line. She’s pacing around, opening ovens and checking on her co-workers.
In a brief moment of pause, Herrera shared that she believed the grilled cheese would be “famous.” That’s how she describes menu items that students enjoy.
Herrera popped out to greet students and help restock items along the lunch line, but her daily responsibilities as kitchen manager happen mostly behind the scenes. It’s a high-stakes role, making sure every student has a breakfast and lunch item that they’ll actually enjoy, and that there’s enough for every student who might want a meal.
“My favorite is to see the kids smiling every day,” Herrera said. “When they come into the line and they see the food and they like it, that one is my favorite part of the job.”
It’s not something she takes for granted. Sometimes, she’ll offer students a small sample of something they’d ordinarily decline. A recent example involved a food that was too spicy, Herrera said.
Herrera used to work for a travel agency in El Salvador, and during that time, she never looked forward to cooking. But, she said, that’s no longer the case.
She’s in her fifth year as kitchen manager, and has been at the school for 18 years. She sets up the line when she arrives each morning and gets her computer ready for the day. However, she prefers being in the kitchen with her staff instead of spending time in her office.
“I like to do backup, cooking for the kids,” Herrera said. “We clean it up, the servings line, every time they drop something. At the end of the day, I need to be sure every kid has food.”
Herrera oversees paperwork, too, but it’s not her focus. The school serves about 100 students breakfast every morning and about 325 lunch each afternoon.
When breakfast ends, the team shifts into preparing for the next meal. Kitchen roles involve scratch cooking, chopping and dicing. Herrera creates a schedule for the staff, to ensure everyone has an assignment and is moving efficiently.
“We know that students cannot learn if they’re hungry, and so we want to be sure that we are offering really fresh, healthy foods that the students want to eat, that they enjoy eating, and we really, really value that that food is served in a friendly and welcoming space,” said Andrea Early, the school division’s director of food and nutrition.
Herrera also places food orders, making sure she has the ingredients necessary to execute the day’s menu. That requires flexibility, because sometimes their suppliers are working through food shortages.
“My priority is be ready for the kids, for the students,” Herrera said.
Her oversight role became challenging when the kitchen wasn’t fully staffed. But now, Herrera said, everyone has a role and there’s enough support.
Though she and her colleagues mostly operate behind-the-scenes, many parents do express their gratitude.
“We receive a note from many parents that said, ‘Thank you for feeding my kid. Thank you for that. Thank you for whatever you do,” Herrera said.
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