Darcy MacFarland is server at Luella’s BBQ and Casey Church works for Publix supermarket as a bakery clerk and cashier in Asheville NC. For this project, Casey and Darcy interviewed different members of the service industry community about their experience with resiliency during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Brianna Travell is currently pursuing her Master of Social Work. Her primary focus is on immigration policy and child welfare. She is an active member of the Children and Youth Homeless Action Coalition in western N.C. She has been in the service industry for eight years, and is presently a server at Luella’s BBQ
Alex McDonald Villarreal (left) was born and raised in Dallas, TX. He holds a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Theatre from Texas State University. He has worked coast to coast in the United States in theatre and restaurants, with over 15 years of experience in both.
Daniel Combs is a musician and cleaner. He started playing music professionally in 2016 while based in Asheville. When not traveling for performances, Daniel plays gigs at restaurants, hotels, and breweries around town. He works as a house cleaner during the day.
Emilie Mulliken has worked at Ulta Beauty in Cary, NC as a Lancome Beauty Advisor for two years. In her free time, she is a professional photographer and makeup artist for friends and family.
Danny works at UPS as a preload supervisor and at Lowes Hardware as an outside lawn and garden sales associate. They have 6 years worth of experience in the service industry. They earned an associate’s degree in both science and arts, and is currently seeking a bachelors degree in psychology.
Nancy Paduchowski is a bakery manager at Publix supermarket in Cary, NC. She has worked for the company for 4 years but has 8 years’ worth of experience in the service industry. Nancy has a degree in cosmetology but is currently not practicing during the pandemic.