Smith mans the Main Plate station at lunchtime.
Faith Miller | The Collegian

Every Hillsdale College student has met Jill Smith, the Metz employee who has been serving students with a smile for 30 years. Smith’s time in the dining hall is drawing to a close as she plans to retire on Dec. 9.

“It’ll be hard. I’m sure I’ll shed a few tears. I can always come back. I can come for lunch and be on the other side of it,” Smith said.

Smith began working in catering at the college after her father, who graduated from Hillsdale in 1942, encouraged her to apply. When she began, she had two sons, aged 5 and 15.

“My kids were little, and it just fit in with their school schedules. I had summers off, and now they’re grown, and I’m still here,” Smith said. “I wish my dad was here to see me. He’d be proud I stayed this long. That’s a long time.”

After working in catering for a year at the start of her career, Smith switched to working in food service. She said interacting with the students is her favorite aspect of the job.

“The students are what keep me going. I’ve met so many of them, and they’re just great people, so I’m going to miss them. So, that’ll be the hard part, leaving the students,” Smith said. “I’ve met a lot of faculty, too. That’s the other fun thing at lunch, getting to know the faculty.”

Among her favorite memories are her interactions with Hillsdale College President Larry Arnn.

“Dr. Arnn, he’s something,” Smith said. “Several years ago, Dr. Arnn came in for lunch with Pat Sajak and introduced him to me. For a few minutes, I was stunned.”

Smith has seen many students grow up, and then gets to see their families when they come back to Hillsdale.

“I’ve met so many great people, and some are married now with children. It’s been crazy, but it’s been great,” Smith said.

Smith attends every home basketball game of the Chargers, according to senior Cole McWhinnie.

“She is a loyal fan of the basketball team. She comes to every one of our home games. I have gotten to know her through the years from that,” McWhinnie said. “She said she usually goes to Underdogs to catch the away games, so she keeps up with pretty much every game.”

The women’s basketball team once came to the dining hall at breakfast to sing “Happy Birthday” to Smith. Even after she retires, Smith said she plans to continue attending the home basketball games.

“I will not miss a game,” Smith said. “I even missed my niece’s baby shower one time. I just sent a gift because we had a game. I thought, ‘This is terrible,’ but I had to be here.”

Creating a fun atmosphere in the dining hall for the students brings Smith great joy.

“I love it when we do themed meals. Sometimes those are a lot of fun,” Smith said. “It makes it not so ‘same old, same old’ everyday.”

Smith teaches those around her how to have fun, according to Pam Shearman, Smith’s coworker.

“She has made me a better person. You could be having the worst day of your life, and you’re going to come in, and she’s going to say something to you, and she’s going to have you laughing,” Shearman said. “She’s my partner. I’m going to miss her.”

Smith said she plans to spend more time with her family once she is retired.

“I would love to spend more time visiting my daughter. They live in Dayton, and my grandkids are down there, so I do not see them a lot since I’m working. So, I’ll have free time to go down there and stay longer,” Smith said. “I really won’t feel retired until when everyone comes back and I’m not coming back to work, that’s when it’ll seem different.”

Smith will be missed in the dining hall, according to McWhinnie.

“Jill, she’s a kind lady. She always uplifts the spirits of people around her. She’s somebody that I’m always looking forward to seeing, whether that’s in the cafeteria or at the games, cheering us on,” McWhinnie said.

With so many great memories from her time working in the dining hall, Smith said she is grateful for the people she met along the way.

“I just want to thank everybody, all the students, for all their kindness, and for the chats and stuff that we’ve had,” Smith said. “This has been great. I really appreciate it. But I’ll be back. I feel like I should be at the door, like the Walmart greeter, and just kind of sit there and say hello to everyone.”