Before most students even wake up, Tashi Dhondup is already starting his day at 5:30 a.m. in the Berkeley High School cafeteria. “I just set up the breakfast for the students,” Dhondup said. For him, the busiest times are early in the week and again on Fridays. “The busiest part of the day is Monday and Friday, between six to 11, because I have a lot of deliveries.” Dhondup said.
Dhondup has been part of the district for about 13 years and started working at BHS in 2016. He is now responsible for managing the school cafeteria and ensuring that everything runs smoothly for meals. According to Dhondup, what he enjoys most about his job is working with food and being surrounded by respectful students. “The students are very nice. They are not middle school students, they act like high school students, and then they (have) respect — that’s the most important thing, you know,” Dhondup said.
Before joining Berkeley High School, Dhondup worked in a hospital from 2009-13. “I used to work in a hospital, and then I got an opportunity to go to college for nutrition. So I went to college for two years to get that certificate or license to get into nutrition and managing.” After earning his certification, he took an exam to work in schools and was eventually promoted to his current position. “I got this opportunity in high school, 2016, I took the exam to get this job. And then I got this job.”
Dhondup enjoys cooking and says he likes all the meals that are served at school, but he has a few personal favorites. “Sometimes I like to make fried rice and special dressings for the salad,” he said. And as for what students like most, “They like nachos, beef nachos, and they like tacos, and hamburgers and hot dogs.”
He says his fellow cafeteria staff and team are some of the best perks of his job. “The funniest thing is that my coworkers are very cooperative and they are very nice, and we respect each other. That’s the most important thing. And then I like it that way, so I don’t have to tell them, do this and that, they already know what they do and then they do everything on time,” Dhondup said.
When he's not at work, Dhondup stays busy. “I do some maintenance work, like electrician, plumbing, all these construction jobs,” he stated. He also enjoys cooking at home and shares kitchen duties with his wife.
“My wife, she cooks lunch and then I do dishes, and then when I do dinner, she does dishes, so 50-50,” Dhondup said.
His go-to comfort food is a sandwich, and outside of work he loves helping others. He said, “I just like to help people. Most of the people, they know that I’m helping people not for the money, just helping.”
At home, Dhondup's day stays full even after work. “I start here at 5:30 and (at) 1, I’m done here, and then I have to go pick up my younger daughter from elementary school. After that, I have to pick up my daughter from high school, and then I have to go home, make sure they do their homework, and then I just … do the dishes, clean up, and then prepare dinner for my family.” Dhondup said.
On weekends, he enjoys spending time outdoors. “I go camping, and then I take my kids to the park and especially the national park and we go biking and have picnics.”
Every day, Dhondup manages the food, staff, and the students with care and dedication. Whether he's cooking for hundreds of students or helping his kids with homework at night, his dedication shows through everything he does.