Nicole McManus is a 20-year-old cafeteria worker at Flowing Wells High School. An accident as a child left Nicole with a brain injury, yet that didn't keep her from helping her classmates. While still a student, Nicole was offered a position as a cafeteria worker, which she continues to do several years later in 蜜柚直播, AZ. on December 12, 2017.
Nicole McManus dreams of working with plants some day.
But for now, the shredded lettuce and sliced tomatoes in the Flowing Wells High School cafeteria will have to do.
McManus, 20, graduated from the school in 2015 and stayed on as a cafeteria worker, where she has a reputation for serving smiles along with salads.
What she does
鈥淪he was always a friend to someone in our class if they drove a wheelchair or was blind,鈥 said life skills teacher Mimi Lawton. 鈥淪he was the first to say, 鈥業 can help.鈥欌
McManus served her classmates while living with a brain injury of her own.
That didn鈥檛 stop her from competing with the high school鈥檚 Special Olympics team or working as the team manager for the school鈥檚 tennis squad. Her love of growing things compelled her to join Future Farmers of America and she never missed class, Lawton said.
鈥淪he did all of these things on her own and would just come and say, 鈥業鈥檓 going to do this,鈥 in spite of having a different way of learning,鈥 Lawton said.
Why it matters
McManus鈥 persistence and kindness are examples for all students.
鈥淚 help others,鈥 she said. 鈥淚f they don鈥檛 know how to do something, I鈥檒l help them.鈥
Every day, McManus bikes to work. For the last several years, she has also volunteered at Flowing Wells Library, which is currently closed for expansion.
Nicole McManus, a 20-year-old cafeteria worker, works the sandwich line at Flowing Wells High School in 蜜柚直播, AZ. on December 12, 2017. An accident as a child left Nicole with a brain injury, yet that didn't keep her from helping her classmates. While still a student, Nicole was offered a position as a cafeteria worker, which she continues to do several years later.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 what we hope for students in life skills, that they are employed and that they are happy.鈥 Lawton said. 鈥淎nd Nicole stayed in our own community. She works at the school she went to and gets to and from work independently on her bike. She doesn鈥檛 rely on a parent to drive her.鈥
McManus is dependable, Lawton added. And that counts for a lot.
Encouraging peers
鈥淛ust be nice and help other people out,鈥 Lawton said.
It鈥檚 that simple.