Feeding the Campus Community While Bleeding Orange: Stephanie Rose Is Living Out Her Dreams
Growing up in the Syracuse suburb of Manlius, New York, Stephanie Rose was a huge fan of Syracuse University’s athletics teams—especially the basketball and lacrosse squads—and in high school, Rose enjoyed working in the bakery of the P&C grocery store in town.
When she was serving in the U.S. Navy as a culinary specialist, the ship frequently held sports jersey days, where the crew could wear their favorite player’s or team’s jersey for all to see. Rose was notorious for representing the Orange, with her two favorite jerseys belonging to former men’s basketball standout Carmelo Anthony and legendary men’s lacrosse star Mike Powell ’04.
Little did Rose know that, years later, her future occupation would combine her love for the Orange with her passion for food services.
“Everybody knew I was from Syracuse and that I bleed Orange. Whenever the men’s basketball tournament was playing [in the NCAA tournament], I’d have two screens going on my computer to watch the action. I’ve always loved Syracuse University and wanted to work for the University,” says Rose, who fulfilled that dream when she was hired by Syracuse Food Services as a campus catering manager on Aug. 15, 2022.
In her role, Rose handles staffing for catered events on campus, overseeing roughly 200 student workers and student supervisors. Among the biggest on-campus events she’s led are the University’s annual Commencement weekend and Convocation celebrations, tailgates before home football games and the recent Veterans Summit held at the National Veterans Resource Center at the Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello Building.
Regardless of the size or scope of the event, Rose prides herself on ensuring that everyone in attendance enjoys themselves while feasting on carefully planned food selections.
“I know that the people are there to have fun and enjoy their get-together, and it literally makes my job when I see people enjoying themselves at an event. But I’m also all about making sure our students have the best possible experience. That’s my drive, that’s my goal. I especially love working events on the Quad for that reason. Our job is to make sure these students are having a great Syracuse experience, and our staff is here to do whatever they can to play a small part in that experience,” Rose says.
Get to know Rose, a decorated member of the Navy who still is active within the U.S. Navy Reserve. Rose and her husband, Jon, an aviation electronics technician in the Navy, are the proud parents of twin 4-year-old boys Asher and Logan.
