University of Mary Washington dining room attendant wins Sodexo “Customer Experience Award”

Grace Anne Braxton has been an outstanding member of the University of Mary Washington (UMW) Campus Dining team for twenty-four years. This month, Braxton was honored with the regional Customer Experience Award by Sodexo, world leader in Quality of Life services and dining services partner on campus.

"Grace just has that great spirit. I call her ‘Amazing Grace’ that pretty much speaks for itself,” said Eric Shaw, member of the UMW basketball team.

Braxton is a distinguished athlete in her own right. She started training in track and field when she was eight years old but made a name for herself in swimming and golf. In 1991 she won a gold medal in swimming at the Special Olympic World Summer games. She then switched sports and won a gold medal in golf at the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games held in Shanghai, China. Not one to rest on her laurels, she took home the gold in golf again at the Special Olympic World Summer Games in Athens, Greece in 2011.

According to Unit Marketing Coordinator Rose Benedict, Braxton has made hundreds of friends at UMW earning the loyalty and respect of her co-workers and UMW students, faculty, and staff.

“The minute you meet Grace Anne you feel a connection, and you know that you’ve met someone who is truly extraordinary,” said Benedict. “In fact, Grace Anne was the subject of an article by UMW student Ester Salguero in The Blue & Gray Press entitled ‘Amazing Grace.’

Benedict said what makes Grace Anne so amazing is her ability to form wonderfully supportive relationships with the UMW students. She’s formed strong bonds with many students, but especially the university athletes and members of the basketball team.

A couple of years ago, one of UMW’s basketball players invited Grace Anne to attend a game, and that motivated her to start attending all of their home games. She even bought season tickets.

Grace was quoted in Salguero’s article saying, “I’m a big fan of the UMW basketball team and I love them, I love to be around watching these guys play sports”.

That feeling is reciprocated by the basketball team. This year they all chipped in and bought her a season pass.

For more information, contact Rose Benedict, Campus Dining Marketing Manager, University of Mary Washington Dining Services at Rosetta.Benedict@sodexo.com

Photo credit: Alex Sales