One Chef's Attention to My Food Allergies Saved My College Experience
- Olivia Wong
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
By Olivia Wong
Despite two ambulance trips early in my freshman year due to anaphylactic reactions in the dining hall, I never considered giving up or transferring. As I near graduation from Thomas Jefferson University, I look back and realize how much Chef Christopher Grant helped me turn things around and thrive.
The reality of having to manage my anaphylactic allergies to milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, and soy on my own in a new city only truly hit me after hugging my parents goodbye in the dorm parking lot. I had met with dining services several times before coming to Philly, on admitted students' day and the first day of orientation. However, the day-to-day grind of finding safe food in the dining halls for every meal was daunting. I had to check every ingredient and ask questions.
One missed label on a cauliflower crust sent me to the hospital in October. About a week later, one tablespoon of butter instead of oil in my mashed potatoes sent me for a second ambulance ride. Each reaction seemed to get worse as my body kept fighting itself. I experienced secondary reactions, including full-body hives and trouble breathing, and my freshman-year friends held my hand as I failed to hold back tears with each dose of medicine. The four-hour observation wait turned into overnight admissions, meaning I would wake up alone in the hospital on the day before my 18th birthday. I never expected to start my birthday with a walk to the pharmacy to replace both my epinephrine auto-injectors.
Entering college, I didn’t realize that just one miscommunication, one sprinkle, or one second of a mistake could cost me my life.
The day I returned from my second reaction, Sara, the general senior manager, Chef Chris, and I met in Common Thread, one of the three on-campus dining halls. Chef Chris and Sara expressed genuine concern for me and sincerely apologized. Since the second mistake was from a staff member’s error and not a missed label, the new protocol focused on preventing both. They shared a sheet of paper especially made for me, with sections describing my allergies and meals, including a sign-off by a chef to certify that my meal was safe. Sara had also sent me an email with comforting words: “Everyone who touches your food is getting an allergen retraining in the next two days.”
The new process for me to eat three meals a day looked like this:
Use my breakfast swipe to grab prepackaged cereals and fruit.
Open a new weekly menu received from Sara on Mondays.
Each morning, choose what I want for lunch and dinner from options that are easy to adjust for my allergens, such as pizza, sandwiches, salads, and pasta.
By 10:30 a.m., send Chef Chris a detailed email with any customizations I would like and my estimated pick-up time.
Go to the dining hall between classes at the time I had provided. I skipped the line and found Chef Chris or another staff member who knew me.
They would grab my covered and labeled meal from the back warmer or refrigerator. The paper signed by the preparing chef would be attached to the front of the container.
Since Chef Chris was not on campus on the weekends, I would also have to pick up food for Saturdays and Sundays with my Friday order. Due to my previous reactions, they decided to work out of an abundance of caution.
I look back and realize how much Chef Christopher Grant helped me turn things around and thrive.
Deciding what to eat based on the weekly menu, emailing by 10:30 a.m., finding time to pick up and drop off my meals at my dorm mini-fridge, and coordinating with friends’ plans took tremendous effort and patience. Overwhelming was an understatement, but I had to grapple with the fact that there was no other choice. Coordinating my schedule with dining was so difficult sometimes, and it did not always go smoothly, whether due to my late emails or the staff not having my meal ready when I arrived.
However, I knew that not all universities have the capacity or willingness to care for students as Chef Chris has always done for me. I knew everyone was trying their best to keep me safe and well-fed. Attending a university with only a few thousand students has been helpful because the staff knows me and gives my meals the extra attention needed to make them safe. Although it is a fact that there have been mistakes with serious repercussions, my loved ones have helped remind me of the blessings I have been given through people like Chef Chris. I knew I would not have finished freshman year in Philly without him.
Entering college, I didn’t realize that just one miscommunication, one sprinkle, or one second of a mistake could cost me my life. Knowing this and witnessing Chef Chris’s confidence and kindness made the tedious process of requesting meals and pick-up times more tolerable. I have always been welcomed with the biggest smile from Chef Chris and greetings from other dining staff members.
Even if Chef Chris was busy serving a huge line of students and faculty for Chicken Finger Thursdays or Ramen Bowl Day, he would always change his gloves and apron as soon as he spotted me. Every day, he was responsive and careful with my food, never complaining about the precautions he had to take or the extra time it added to his already busy job as head chef. I have also seen how he’s educated his entire dining staff on the significance of cross-contact, ensuring that students like me have safe dining options on campus. I was happy to see in 2022 that an Inspired Eats station, free of the top 9 allergens, opened on the freshman side of campus.
I hope other college dining managers are inspired by how Chef Chris positively impacted my college experience.
I moved to my own apartment in my sophomore year, and 95% of the time, I meal prep for myself. Although I prefer cooking for myself now, I sometimes still crave a dairy-free Philly Cheesesteak with caramelized onions and fries! Every month or two, I send a quick message to Chef Chris in the morning, and I know I am set for a satisfying and nostalgic lunch.
I do not have enough words to thank Chef Chris for his four years of serving me and making me feel valued. I hope other college dining managers are inspired by how Chef Chris positively impacted my college experience—and the experiences of so many others—and will treat their students with food allergies with similar care and kindness.
Olivia Wong is a physician assistant student in her first year of graduate school at Thomas Jefferson University East Falls, finishing her undergraduate degree in three years. Her dream specialty is to work at an ENT and Allergy office after completing her master’s in the summer of 2026. Olivia also runs a food allergy Instagram called @liv.ingwithallergies, where she posts her favorite recipes, allergy-friendly finds, and restaurant recommendations around Philly.
----------------
How well does your college meet YOUR dietary needs?
Please share your advice and feedback in our GFF College Dining Survey to help inform prospective students and push colleges to improve. Every survey received increases the impact of our advocacy platform!
GFree Friends raises awareness about the importance of safe, inclusive college dining, and we welcome student contributors to our blog.
Contact us with your story ideas!
Follow us on Instagram @gfreefriends