Mill Creek Middle School's Maverick Café brightens Friday mornings for students, teachers
Mill Creek Middle School's "Top Mavs" have become some of the friendly faces that welcome teachers to school early each Friday morning.
By 7 a.m., on the last Friday of the school year, the students helped prepare the school's Maverick Café, an in-school café run by them — students with disabilities — and general education students.
Together, they ensure teachers face their Fridays with a bit of caffeine and a sweet treat.
Before even some teachers arrive at school, they served a variety of hot and iced coffee options, like their best-selling Muddy Maverick, as well as berry-filled pastries. Student Charlotte Kelley was ecstatic that she was finally able to snag a spot to work the café.
"It's my only day I get to do it this year," she said as she cut and served pastries. "But, I'll be back next year!"
Fellow Top Mav Landon Gehring, was helping his classmates with pricing and making sure teachers had accurate change.
"It's been really fun," he said. "I definitely know the teachers enjoy it too."
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When helping organize the café — named for the school's mascot — with his mom, a school volunteer, Gehring said he really only expected to have a cart. But, Mill Creek's principal had a grander vision.
"I'm happy we have our principal. She helped us get the concession stand."
Student support services teacher Katie Shyamsunder leads her Top Mavs in their café business as they prepare and take down the café, work as servers, handle money and even email teachers when they're low on pre-loaded funds. Proceeds go back into the business and also fund some of the special education program's activities.
The student-run business wouldn't be possible without the help of local volunteers and businesses, Shyamsunder said. One of their biggest supporters is local café Mama's Java which donates coffee for sale at Maverick Café.
"Mama's Java has been instrumental in helping us and Nolensville's students with disabilities," she said.
Overall though, the café exists to ensure students gain essential skills.
"We just really want there to be more inclusion and then also while doing that we're empowering our students with job skills and employability skills that will take them over to the high school," Shyamsunder said.
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"Our end game is for all of those students to become independent adults."
Anika Exum is a reporter for the Tennessean covering Williamson County. Reach her on Twitter @aniexum or at aexum@tennessean.com.
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This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Mill Creek Middle School's Maverick Café brightens Friday mornings
