By Juliette Bournay
Not a lot of people know of the small, liberal arts school that is Kalamazoo College. Neither did Karen Kujawa before stumbling upon a job posting on Craigslist in 2013. The “help wanted” written next to “Omelet Chef” was intriguing, and enough for Kujawa to pick up the phone and call. Two days later, after a call back and an interview, she was given the opportunity for a trial run.
“I’d like you to come in and make some omelets,” the interviewer said.
Once in the K kitchen, huge omelet pans sat menacingly on the stove in front of her followed by crazy toppings such as raw salmon. While intimidating, Kujawa learned to toot her own horn, since no one else would.
“I’m the best omelet maker here!” she said.
Twelve years later, Kujawa has more than settled into K and has never stopped rooting for herself.
Kujawa, official title of Omelet Chef, is originally from Maumee, Ohio, a suburb of Toledo. Before gracing K’s population with her famous chef skills, she was a member of the Air Force right out of high school. “It was easy, and there was not a lot of support in my household,” Kujawa said. The Air Force provided rent, food, and insurance since day one to be well taken care of. “It was my way out.”
Once out of the Air Force, Kujawa questioned what her next steps in life would be. Through a friend, she received wind of a company hiring an egg cook. Her mind raced with thoughts, primarily being that at twenty-one years old she was not at all an egg cook or qualified for this position. With assurance from the company, she would be trained and eased into the culinary world. After this starting position, she attended culinary school in Chicago and eventually found herself in Kalamazoo.
Kujawa’s long and winding road to K has completely immersed her in cooking, becoming a central part of her everyday life. Yet, she doesn’t even care for food herself. “It’s a job I get a paycheck from, and I can execute it well,” she said, admitting this fact is slightly ironic. The culinary world was simply an easy transition from the Air Force, and it helped her fall into a routine. Anywhere she goes, she can get a job. “I can’t say that I have a passion for food, but if I could do anything, I would sell art,” Kujawa said.
While crafting omelets everyday may be considered a form of art, Kujawa prefers different mediums. Colored pencil art, glass blowing, or using fine tip Sharpie markers to create drawings through pointillism are some of her favorites. However, her most treasured creations are fordite. Although sounding like a majestic gemstone, fordite is a man-made material made by layers of paint, combining numerous colors to drip down into a unique creation. Kujawa has taught herself how to craft different shapes out of fordite, such as hearts or ovals. She has even begun wrapping them in wire to wear as jewelry pendants as well. As her culinary skills progressed over the years, so did her artistic abilities. Kujawa said, “Cooking just gives me the money to do the art.”
Art may be her passion, but nothing can distract from the amazing interactions Kujawa has every day. Cooking for students, faculty, staff, and even visitors every morning and Wednesday at lunch provides endless opportunities to converse with new or familiar faces. “There are probably some people that don’t have someone actually looking them in their face and asking, ‘How are you today?’” Kujawa said. Her goal is to just treat everyone like a human and be kind, encouraging us all to do the same. “Life is good, so that’s what gets me out of bed every day,” she said.
Reflecting on her path to K, Kujawa believes that she has a pretty good life. Everything she has done up until this point has gotten her a fair share of difficulties, but she has also managed her way out. Now, her wife, Dr. McGrady, attends the doctoral program at Western Michigan University, allowing Kujawa to only have to work part time. Grateful for this change of pace, she is the most comfortable she has ever been in life. “Twenty-one year old me might not have ever pictured life to be like this,” Kujawa said, “But it’s pretty good.”
Casually known as “Karen” across students, Kujawa’s kind words and delicious omelets are something that most students look forward to every week. As for the eggs, low heat and good pans are the only secret ingredients, she shared. As for life, a smile paired with “have a good day” sometimes tastes far better.
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