Dining Services manager learns to balance family, work, and purpose

For Monique Gonzalez, the journey toward balancing family, work, and purpose has been anything but linear. Raised in Federal Way, CWU’s Assistant Director of Dining Services spent her childhood navigating the world of private education, attending St. Vincent De Paul School and later Bellarmine Preparatory School in Tacoma.

Though she is grateful for the academic advantages afforded to her in private school, she always felt the underlying pressure of financial sacrifice.

“It always just felt like we had to work harder to be part of that environment,” she said.

Growing up the youngest of five siblings, Monique learned resilience early. Her father, a Navy veteran turned veterans counselor, instilled a strict work ethic, while her mother’s dedication to raising the family shaped Monique’s own values around care and sacrifice.

Education was important in her family as most of her relatives attended college — many at CWU. It was only natural that Monique would eventually follow that same path.

She initially attended Central after high school, but like many first-generation college students, the challenge of academics didn’t compare to her love of work. After two years, she decided to step away, get married, and start a family.

“I chose to have a family,” she said. “At the time, I thought maybe I didn’t need a degree to be successful in life.”

Life without a degree meant forging her own path through a variety of jobs, each one reflecting her determination to work hard and support her growing family. From customer service in the payday loan industry to waitressing and managing at Buzz Inn Steakhouse, Monique gained firsthand experience in leadership, customer service, and operations.

However, managing a restaurant alongside her husband proved challenging.

“Working alongside your spouse is not good for family work-life balance,” she admitted, explaining that work conversations seeped into their home life, making it difficult to separate the personal from the professional.

Monique’s career evolved when she took a position managing food and beverage services at Suncadia Resort in Cle Elum. There, she stepped into the world of fine dining and high expectations, quickly adapting to an environment where mistakes were not easily forgiven.

“High-end customers will tell you if you’re not doing your job well,” she said. “You will remake it, and you will make it right.”

While she enjoyed the challenge, the competitive, money-driven culture eventually wore her down. Long hours kept her from her daughters, and she realized that something had to give.

Unwilling to sacrifice more time with her girls, Monique made a rare move, pausing her career without another job lined up. It wasn’t long before former colleagues encouraged her to apply at Central in 2017.

The promise of stability and better balance outweighed concerns about title or money. At CWU, Monique quickly found a community that aligned with her values. She worked as a supervisor at the SURC, managing hundreds of student workers and learning the complexities of university operations. Her approachable leadership style made her a favorite among students, even as she learned the importance of holding them accountable.

Her career at CWU continued to evolve when she transitioned into Human Resources, specifically in Student Employment. In that role, Monique helped departments across campus with hiring processes and student support.

“I loved being a support person,” she said. “It helped me build connections that I still have today.”

Monique relishes her role as a confidant and mentor to students. She keeps an electronic copy of Central’s student resource guide readily available in her office and shares it with students often. She wants them to know about the resources available, even if they ultimately choose not to use them. Reflecting on her past, she recognizes that finding “your people,” mentors, and a sense of belonging are critical to student success.

Looking back on her college days, she didn’t have that support system at first. She became one of the students who simply fell through the cracks.

That disconnect contributed to her decision to leave school the first time. In her view, when students don’t feel like they belong — when they lack a safety net or a trusted support system — they are far more likely to walk away. A workplace, much like a college campus, can become a second family, a true home away from home. This is especially true in Dining Services, where food naturally brings people together.

There is a unique immediacy in university food service, Monique explained. Someone asks for something, and almost instantly, the need is met. Providing a meal often brings a sense of joy and satisfaction, not only for the person receiving it but also for the one offering it. Food, she believes, equals happiness. Though it shouldn’t carry emotional weight, in reality, it often does. Food comforts, connects, and builds community.

Monique attended a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) conference earlier this year and initially felt out of place. While most attendees came from academic departments or specialized programs, she was the only one representing Dining Services. But by the third day of the conference, she noticed a common theme emerging: food. Over and over, discussions highlighted how food could bring students together, celebrate culture, and create belonging. She soon realized that she was exactly where she was meant to be.

As for her own academic journey, she is close to completing her degree in Information Technology Management. With only two major classes and an internship remaining, she plans to graduate next spring. After so many years, the finish line is finally in sight.

“The coursework in the program is so immediately applicable to my job,” Monique explained. “Every administrative management class ties right back to what I’m doing here.”

Leading change projects, improving processes, and listening to her colleagues — skills she honed both in the classroom and at work — soon became second nature.

Monique doesn’t know exactly what the future holds, but she knows she loves serving students and she loves Central.

The connection to Central runs deep in her family, and she believes her daughters will continue that tradition. Her oldest is already attending Running Start classes at Central, and her youngest — now a freshman in high school — will likely follow suit. CWU has been part of their lives since they were small, providing a sense of familiarity and home.

Today, Monique's story is a testament to the power of perseverance, adaptability, and the ongoing search for balance. She understands better than anyone that success isn’t always about choosing one path and sticking to it. Sometimes it’s about navigating the curves, taking pauses when needed, and redefining what success looks like at each stage of life.

Her story, rich with lessons about change and growth, reminds us that balance is not a destination; it’s a lifelong practice.

And for Monique Gonzalez, the journey continues.

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Author Staci Sleigh-Layman is the former Associate Vice President of Human Resources, who retired from CWU on August 1. She completed a series of CWU employee features in 2025, and they are running periodically on Central Today.