Gather. Eat. Share.

The first time Cheyanne visited the Pace Center, it was on a dare. “Me and my friend had a little pact going,” she explained. “We didn't want to fall into winter depression, so we decided to try every event on campus that sounded interesting to us. When I heard about Weeknight Cooking at the Pace Center, I was like, ‘Hey, we get to cook and eat? Let’s go!’”

Weeknight Cooking is a program where students cook and share a meal together. Soon she was telling all her friends to come. One evening, when the kitchen became too crowded to cook, Cheyanne struck up a game of Spoons with someone new. “There was a little bit of friendly competition between me and this girl,” Cheyanne recalled, “By the last round we were laughing so much. After the game, I found out that she lived a couple of doors down from me in my dorm. Now we hang out like every week.”

Besides fulfilling a social need, Pace also helped Cheyanne in a very practical way. “There’s another reason why I think Pace is an amazing place - you don’t have to pay for food!” she said. “Especially freshman year, that was always on my mind. Like, when am I going to eat a good meal and not just Chick-fil-A? But Pace also gave me the chance to be a part of something, even though I initially just came for food.”

Cheyanne became a leader of the Weeknight Cooking program. “The first taste of leadership I got at Pace was when my friend and I came early to help prep food. I felt so invigorated that I just wanted to keep doing it,” she said. “It can be overwhelming when you start to plan for the event and you know that so many people are going to show up. Even though you might be tired by the end of the night, it's always a good kind of tired. It feels so great to make it happen and see everybody connecting.”

Reflecting on her overall experience, Cheyanne said, “Honestly, it’s all about what’s on the shirt: ‘gather, eat, and share’! Even though people may come for food, they leave with a connection or a positive outlook, because everybody is so inviting, welcoming, and warm.”

Your support helps Pace provide (non Chick-fil-A) meals and a place for students to connect. Thank you!