Working as a cashier at the dining common can be tiring yet rewarding.

Three dining common cashiers swipe cards and clean and maintain the front entrance. On top of their normal duties, they also provide a ministry to students, faculty and other guests who come through their lines.

Kathy Tovrea (Miss Kathy) serves as cashier during breakfast and lunch shifts.

She has worked for the dining common for 44 years and has worked for Aramark since it took over four years ago.

Tovrea is from Illinois and first came to South Carolina as a BJU student studying elementary education.

Working in the dining common, Tovrea discovered she liked working with college students more than elementary students.

When not swiping cards, Tovrea is busy with other tasks.

“I don’t stand [still] very much; I keep moving,” Tovrea said. “There’s always something to do like refill Grab n’ Go or clean the windows.”

Working as a cashier has always been a ministry for Tovrea.  “I feel like if I can encourage [students, and they] can encourage me, then it’s a win-win,” Tovrea said.

She tries her best to remember names.

“I work really hard at it, and I don’t have a good memory,” Tovrea said. “But when I finally get someone’s name, they smile, and it just makes it for me.”

Brenda Arnold works after Tovrea, from lunch until dinner.

She has worked in the dining common for over 10 years. Arnold first came to South Carolina to enroll her children in Bob Jones Academy.

Aside from swiping cards, Arnold is responsible for cleaning all of the bathrooms and tables. During the lunch and dinner rushes, she helps swipe cards to help keep lines moving.

Arnold said she enjoys the afternoon because there is not a huge rush to swipe. She said the calmer atmosphere enables her to interact with students more personally.

After Arnold, Janice Guth takes over as cashier from dinner time until closing.

Guth has worked for BJU in different positions including BJU Press, customer service and the admission office for 14 years.

Guth is originally from Philadelphia and came to South Carolina in 1997 while her son was a student at BJU.

Guth said she enjoys being a cashier for Aramark because of the chances to interact with students.

When she worked for BJU, she and her husband were chaperones for many of the student outings.

“I just loved being with the students,” Guth said.

Students have said they enjoy the warm greetings they receive from the cashiers.

David Dickinson, a sophomore composite social studies education major, said he appreciates that they take the time to remember his name.

“They have always been friendly,” Dickinson said.