Groton ― Doreen McHugh, the cook at Mystic River Magnet School, tries to make children feel special by saying hello to them, and they high five, fist bump and say hi to her everyday in return.

Over at Robert E. Fitch High School, Cook Manager Suzanne Fallucco, has been working for the district for 38 years and enjoys helping kids and preparing a variety of meal options for them.

Recently they each won a prestigious award. The national School Nutrition Association named McHugh as employee of the year for the Northeast region while the School Nutrition Association of Connecticut named Fallucco as manager of the year.

“I just feel this is what God wants me to do,” the 78-year-old Fallucco said.

Groton Public School Food Services Director Ernie Koschmieder said school food service employees have a tremendous amount of dedication, and McHugh and Falluco worked to feed students throughout the year and during the COVID-19 pandemic and often go “above and beyond.”

“We all believe that we take care of our Groton community,” Koschmieder said.

“Like a family“

McHugh, who has worked for the school district since 2007 at Fitch High School, the former West Side Middle School, Groton Middle School, and now Mystic River Magnet School, said she tries to make sure kids have at least a “pocket of happiness” in their day.

She said it’s important to interact with students and be friendly, and she enjoys seeing their faces light up in the morning when they see her.

“Everybody here is like a family,” McHugh said. “We all work very hard for the kids.”

She said the kids smile when they see her at the grocery store, and older kids still come up to her and tell her that “you’re my favorite.”

McHugh said she tries to get to know students and make them feel comfortable and that someone’s there for them.

McHugh said growing up she had her grandmother, but she can’t remember having mentors at school pushing her and saying “hey, I think you’d be good at this or that.” She said she wants kids to have what she didn’t have.

McHugh has two children and six grandchildren, including some who she doesn’t get to see often because they live out of state. She said she thinks about her own grandchildren and how she’d want someone to be there for them and be nice to them, so she tries to do that for the Groton students.

She said she helped get a picnic table at the Groton Estates apartments so kids there could have a place to eat their meals. She also makes special meals for students who have food allergies or who don’t eat meat.

McHugh walks along the school district’s farm-to-school truck during the Groton Fourth of July parade and hands out flags and apple slices.

McHugh, 59, who has lived in Groton for more than 30 years, also is involved with community service through the Groton Lodge of Elks.

Koschmieder said when school is out for the summer, McHugh’s may be the first face many kids see in the morning when she delivers summer meals -- and that’s where her welcoming and friendly personality comes into play.

“People relate to Doreen,” Koschmieder said. “They see her because she’s at school, she’s out in the summer program, she’s doing parades.”

Helping, laughing

As a rush of students lined up for lunch on Thursday at Fitch High School, Fallucco prepared sandwiches that they ordered ― and knew one student’s usual order before he even had to ask.

Fallucco said she likes coming to Fitch to work with the people, having fun and laughing with them, while doing her duties.

“I like being with the people,” she said. “I like helping the kids. We try very much to have a great, big variety of food.”

Fallucco was once in the students’ shoes as she graduated from Fitch High School in 1963.

But when Fallucco went to high school, she said the school only had one meal option, and her mother made her lunch to take to school each day.

Today, the high school typically has about five different food lines and a snack line, so students can choose different dishes, such as spicy chicken burgers, meatball grinders, salads, or sandwiches.

“I’m happy that they have choices,” Fallucco said.

Fallucco, who also is in charge of the district’s catering program, initially started with the school district in 1985 as a substitute and thought she would just work when someone needed help. But she said it worked out to be a full-time job.

She said she found her niche and feels this is where she is supposed to be.

Danielle Duclos, second cook, said Fallucco has a really good work ethic and has not missed many work days.

“She’s very dependable,” Duclos said. “You can count on her. She’s always here.”

Fallucco, a Ledyard resident, has two children, six grandchildren, a great-grandchild and another great-grandchild on the way. She also takes tickets at Fitch football games and sings in the choir at Groton Heights Baptist Church.

Koschmieder said Fallucco has a great rapport with staff, teachers, and kids and is very attentive to what students want to eat, makes sure the food is as fresh as possible and takes into account kids’ special dietary needs.

“She’s one of our employees that’s been with us the longest, and she is just an amazing individual,” said Koschmieder, describing her as “everybody’s grandmother.”

“She’s just the sweetest, nicest lady,” he said.

k.drelich@theday.com