By Susan Stone

Special to the News-Herald

It’s not unusual for some of the Lake Prince Woods dining room wait staff to return to school at the end of the summer, since several are either high school, vocational or college students. But when Jessica McIntosh left recently to begin her junior year of college, she was packing her bags for Reading, England.

A student at Randolph College in Lynchburg, McIntosh is studying environmental science and English with a focus on environmental writing.

Excited about the chance to live abroad, McIntosh had plans to do some archeological studies to explore ancient environments in addition to her classroom work. “School will be very different there,” she noted, “because all our evaluations will be essays. There won’t be any tests or quizzes.”

She was also eager to travel while in England.

“I will stay there for Christmas and won’t come home until next May,” she said, adding that she and her family and friends planned to stay in touch through Skype. Several of her friends from college are going to school in Reading, also.

McIntosh has worked in the dietary department at Lake Prince Woods in the summer of 2013 and during school breaks since then. It wasn’t unusual to see her working in the deli at lunch or serving in the dining room at dinner.

“It’s rare to find a job that will let you come back and be flexible with hours the way Lake Prince was,” she said. The residents appreciated her good service and quick smile, and she was named Employee of the Month for August.

“Jessica was such a good worker, and I’m really going to miss her,” said her supervisor, Edith Wilson. “We wish her the best and hope she’ll come back to visit us.”

Lake Prince Woods Dietary Director Judy Dildy noted that students have been valuable employees through the years.

“We have had high school and college students working with us for a number of years,” Dildy said. “More recently we have had culinary students from The Pruden Center completing their internships here.”

Students gain valuable work experience, and the residents enjoy having young people in their midst, she added.