For many students, Ole Miss becomes a second home for four or five years. For Glennie Pou, Ole Miss Dining has been hers for nine.
Pou started working in August 2008 in the Student Union. When the Union went under construction and renovation, she moved to the Rebel Market, where she made sure all the tables were clean for the students. When the Union reopened, she moved back to work at Which Wich as a cashier.
“I greet everybody and help them take their order,” Pou said. “I love talking to people. I love it. You just see everybody here.”
Born and raised in Batesville, Pou said she still lives there with her mother and commutes to Oxford every morning for work.
“This is what I do every day — just go back and forth from Batesville,” Pou said. “It’s a 30-minute drive, so it’s not that bad.”
Pou has a passion for photography as well as one for helping people. Before working at the university, she would take pictures for her neighborhood newspaper. She still continues her favorite passtime here at Ole Miss.
“I like to take pictures. I stay busy doing that,” Pou said. “Whenever I get the chance, I go to the Ole Miss games and take pictures there.”
Pou said coming to Ole Miss was a simple decision for her. She said she only talked to one or two people and before applying.
“It’s really one of my favorite places to be,” Pou said. “What I have always said is that Ole Miss is a melting pot.”
When talking about Ole Miss, Pou said there are so many things and so many different experiences that it’s hard to explain. However, she does have one particular moment that stands out from the rest.
“One of the most meaningful experiences I really liked was in 2008 when the presidential debate was here and the main focus was on the university,” Pou said. “It was just so positive, and everybody here was so positive.”
Whitney Atkinson, also on staff at the Union, said Pou is a great addition to the Ole Miss community.
“I think she is really cool,” Atkinson said. “She is a really good worker.”
Atkinson used to work at the old Union but left a year ago. She came back in August when the new Student Union opened, and said she has known Pou for three months.
“She really knows a lot about Which Wich, which I think is great,” Atkinson said. “ She definitely helps a lot around here.”
Pou has earned a special place not only in the hearts of the Ole Miss staff but also in the hearts of many students.
Grant Henderson, a sophomore chemical engineering major, said he eats at the Union at least twice a week and sees Pou cleaning tables and making sure everything is in good condition for the students.
Photo by Alexis T. Rhoden
“(Pou) is always smiling while doing it,” Henderson said. “She definitely has a positive energy, and you can see it easily. She is always happy, which makes me happy.”
Henderson said that after a long day at school, going to the Union and seeing a happy person smiling at you is exactly what every student needs.
Pou said she wants students to know she’s there for each of them.
“If you ever feel down-hearted, come to me and I will try to make you feel better,” she said.
