By Gabriela Rodriguez and Izzy LaPerry

 

If you have good taste, you know Sherman Price. 

He’s the head baker at DelVal, and during a recent trip to the dining hall, he shared the root of his passion and his favorite dessert to make: The pineapple upside down cake.  

“The first cake I learned how to bake, which my mother taught me, was a pineapple upside down cake,” he said one recent day during an interview with DelVal’s Full360 Media reporters.  

Lunch was served, and Sherman, while answering questions, didn’t want to delay dessert. He asked, “How long is this going to be because I have to make sure I get the brownies out of the oven.”   

Sherman has worked for DelVal since 2019. He said his favorite part about DelVal is the students.  

He enjoys making people happy, and after dessert is served and tasted, he looks for reactions on people’s faces, adding “there is no sense in making stuff you’re not going to enjoy.” 

He like the feedback from students: “Your never know what they are going through and just to give them something to cheer them up.”  

Students do appreciate Sherman. Sophomore Sophie Pollack is a huge fan of Sherman because of his hard work. “You can tell he cares about the quality of his food that he is feeding us.” Another sophomore Eva Herrera also points out how Shermans food reminds students of home. “You can tell he really cares and that he is trying to make efforts for people to remind them of home food.”  

Sherman makes sure every day is a good day, he said “whatever you’re feeling, that’s what you’re going to put into your food.” 

Chef Nate

During our trip, we also had the opportunity to sit down and talk with the executive chef here at DelVal, Chef Nate. We got to ask him a couple of questions about how things are done behind the scenes and learn a little more about his role.

We spoke about how the menus are created—a process that begins even before the semester starts. When it comes to planning, Chef Nate starts by looking at national days, holidays, and heritage months to make sure they’re included in the schedule. Since joining DelVal, he has also been incorporating student recommendations into the dining hall menus. He says hearing what students want makes his job a little easier, especially when he needs to swap out a less popular meal for one that’s in demand.

Chef Nate has been at DelVal for a year and a half now. With the help of Jenn Rodolfo, he’s been working to involve more students in the dining hall’s decision-making process. He’s committed to building a strong connection between students and dining services. One way they’ve done this is by offering cooking classes for students, faculty, and staff—giving them the chance to make fun meals, learn proper techniques, and even take home kitchen tools so they can keep learning at home.

If you’re looking for a job on campus, consider reaching out to the dining hall. Chef Nate has just one requirement: “Just be willing to learn.” He believes, “You can teach anybody anything if they are willing to learn.” He truly appreciates student workers—especially those eager to pick up new skills.

We asked him what the best part of his workday is, and he replied, “It kind of depends. A lot of times, I get to see the students I’ve built friendly relationships with and check in on how they’re doing… every day has its own different challenges, so it keeps things exciting.”

So, if you have a chance and see Chef Nate or Baker Sherman in the dining hall, be sure to give them a friendly wave or stop by and say hello.