Students walking into DeMattias Dining Hall know the smiling face of Judy Brown will be there to greet them. For the last two years, Judy has swiped the cards of thousands of students who have come through those doors, and she does it continually with unmatched enthusiasm.

Brown came to St. Louis in 1969 from Union Springs, Ala. She began working at Washington University where she stayed for 28 years. Five years ago, she came to Saint Louis University to work in Jesuit Hall.

“I like working with the people there because they are just so nice all of the time,” Brown said. After three years, she moved to DeMattias Dining Hall while continuing to work in Jesuit Hall.

“The students are such nice people. They seem different from students on any other campus; maybe it is because this is a Jesuit school where they teach people to be kind,” explained Brown.

Brown felt it is important to provide students with a warm and friendly atmosphere when they come in for meals. In her opinion, food can remind students of home.

“A lot of my students come from far away and can’t go home but only once or twice a year. I think it is important that someone watches out for them,” Brown said. “I like to take them under my wing and mother them.”

Brown is experienced in mothering. She comes from a large family with 12 siblings. From an early age she learned how to give of herself. She has three daughters: Cecile, Karen and Gwendolyn, who live in St. Louis, Charleston, S.C. and Birmingham, Ala. Her daughter, Cecile, works at Maryville University.

“I am glad Cecile works so close to me because I always get a chance to see her,” Brown said.

Brown is very close to all of her daughters. Karen makes numerous trips from South Carolina to visit her mother. As well, Brown is close to her three grandchildren and her 5-year-old great-grandson.

When Brown is not mothering her students, she can be found visiting the sick at hospitals and nursing homes near her home in Pagedale. Brown lives by the motto, “No matter how hard it is for you, there is always someone less fortunate in this world.” She tries to always keep these words in mind whenever she feels down. Brown also spends a lot of her time with her family in Birmingham whenever she can, “I try to visit my mother, who still lives in Alabama, often because I don’t want to miss the chance to be with her.” Brown explains. “She is 85 and one day she won’t be here, so I want to spend as much time with her as I possibly can.”

Besides visiting the sick and spending time with her large family, Brown enjoys baking in her free time. She makes it a point to attend church on a regular basis and likes to watch television.

“Like everyone else, I seem to be watching a lot of CNN and the news lately,” Brown said.

To Brown, one of the most important thing she can do is do her job well. She wants to be able to be there for students who might just need a smile, a friendly word or someone to talk to about their day.

“I truly love my students,” she said. “I enjoy seeing their familiar faces on campus and even outside of the University.”

Brown plans to stay at SLU until she is ready to retire. She thinks she has a lot more to give to the students. “I thank God because it is a blessing to be able to get up and have a job. I want to be able to greet students who are far away from home. I like to be able to help them with whatever they need.”