A Day in the Life of Juakena Greene-Perkins: Making an Impact One Meal at a Time
This story follows a day in the life of Juakena Greene-Perkins. Ms. Kena, as her students call her, is a nutrition assistant and cashier at Rosa Taylor Elementary. Her charismatic and outgoing personality leaves a mark on everyone who enters the lunchroom.
By Camryn Jackson
The cafeteria is buzzing with noise as the staff prepares for the school day at Rosa Taylor Elementary.
Juakena Greene-Perkins walks into the office clad in a black tutu and a red shirt reading “#We Are Rosa Taylor” on the front. She has a tigress mascot head in the fold of her left arm and a vibrant smile spreading across her face as she notices me. Her excitement and outgoing personality radiate the room as she sits down in the chair. Ms. ‘Kena’s vivacious and warm personality is contagious.
At Rosa Taylor Elementary school, the faculty and the students all know Juakena Greene-Perkins. Although she only started working as a nutrition assistant and cashier at the elementary school in August, many would think that she’d been a member of the school’s community for a while.
She takes great pride in providing attentiveness to the students who pass through her breakfast and lunch line.
“Lunch is the fun part…that’s my personal time with the children,” Greene-Perkins says. “I get a chance to look at what they have on their plates [and] encourage different items if they’re missing something.”
Not only does Perkins’ pay attention to her student’s meals to make sure that they have a balanced diet, but she also makes it a point to wish her students a happy birthday.
“I get to find out whose birthday it is because it pops up on my screen,” Green-Perkins says. “So they’re excited because I know they’re birthdays…and I sing Happy Birthday to everybody who has a birthday.”
For Ms. ‘Kena, coming into work every day at Rosa Taylor Elementary School is her way of giving back to the children who brighten her day on a daily basis.
“They constantly wanna hug, tell you about their day,” she says. “I told them I know the tooth fairy personally so everybody who’s missing a tooth opens their mouth and says look Ms. ‘Kena…It’s that, it’s the children. Everything about the children is what makes me get up in the morning and come to Rosa Taylor.”
Greene-Perkins says her energetic nature scored her the title of school mascot as well.
“It’s the energy that I have, that’s why I wear this because I’ll do anything,” Greene-Perkins says with amusement in her tone.
Heidi Aselton, the nutrition manager at Rosa Taylor Elementary School, had nothing but great things to say about Perkins.
“What we’re working on here at Rosa Taylor is customer service, and just giving those children that experience that they’re the most important person in front of you,” Aselton says. “It’s invaluable you know, and Ms. Kena does that whether she’s having a good day or a bad day.”
Aselton says the school’s community takes notice of Perkins’ warm personality and it creates a happier environment for everyone — especially the children.
“What Ms. Kena has is the spirit of school nutrition and that’s a giving, kind, comforting, warm spirit,” Aselton says. “And the children they need that when they’ve had a long day, they need someone who cares and who will treat them like they’re the best customer in front of them.”
On our tour through the classrooms, and on Ms. ‘Kena’s first day as the school’s mascot, it was clear to tell that she has a bond with her students. They gravitated towards her when they heard the lively voice of the person behind the tigress mascot mask.
“She just does whatever she can do to just brighten their day and it’s just fabulous working with somebody like that,” Aselton says, “And those kids, it don’t matter if she’s having a bad day. That smile is gonna be there. That hug is gonna be there. It makes for a great experience for the kids.”
