THE BREAD
On a sunny afternoon, nestled near the windowed walls of the first floor of Ripich Commons, Ruth Goude gifts a little surprise: a mug with two Kind Mini bars inside. These were no ordinary granola bars; printed and placed with care on the packaging was a message fitting of their name:
“Kind words are like honey—sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.”
— Proverbs 16:24
Goude carries this message with her every day, sharing it with others through both practice and granola bars, to “help people have a better day and keep their mind off some of their troubles.” With each thing she does, Goude hopes to bring joy and a reason to smile to those around her. She implements this philosophy in all aspects of her life, describing that her true purpose is to serve others.
“It feeds my soul,” Goude said, “I’ve been in many different [food] venues. I’ve [taken] care of disabled people, worked with the elderly, [and] worked with children… I had a daycare when I was a young mother.” Goude jokes that she has yet to extensively serve animals other than her pets but finds that it would be sweet to one day serve them too.
When asked about pets, Goude recalled one of her favorites being a cat she named Bosco. This dapper cat was gray with white “boots” and a white mustache. Goude described Bosco’s fur as soft silk and said he loved to have his ears rubbed.
THE MEAT
This year marks Goude’s fourth year working as a chef at UNE, a special year, as it is the first graduating class that she has served from the beginning to the end of their college experience, “the seniors this year, we came in together.” Goude recognizes many faces from her first year here at UNE; seeing the students makes her day, as “everyone is so dear” to her. Some student’s deli orders are so consistent that she has them memorized!
THE CHEESE
When asked about her own deli pick, Goude confessed that she does not have a go-to sandwich order. Rather, she loves to experiment with something new each time. No combination is weird to her, but instead unique and creative—like a tuna and roast beef request that she once received. “Food is for the soul; however you want to feed the soul, you just got to do it,” said Goude. However, she adds that a good chicken salad or gouda-layered sandwich will never go wrong.
Beyond sandwiches, Goude loves to cook. She enriches her creativity in the kitchen by growing her own vegetables and herbs and feels that gardening is a great way to connect with the Earth.
THE TOPPINGS
Along with cooking and gardening, Goude’s favorite hobby is dancing. She uses dance to relieve stress and negativity from her life. Goude describes herself as a freelance dancer in the sense that she’ll dance to anything, whenever, wherever. “I feel the vibe and I honestly don’t care what people think I look like because I’m just expressing myself. [Dancing] releases this inner part of me that I can’t express any other way.”
CHIPS AND A PICKLE
Goude accredited a lot of her character to her family, both from the large family that she grew up in and from her son. Her wit, kindness, and open spirit can be traced back to her parents, Goude shared, “My father always said, ‘Never judge anyone. You don’t know what they’re going through,’” and she has forever taken that to heart—and that truly shows in the smile Ruth Goude brings to UNE each and every day.
