Freshman Madison Henderson served coffee for two and a half years at a quaint roadside espresso cafe called Mountain Mudd in Searcy. Most students visited Midnight Oil or Starbucks, but Henderson preferred the atmosphere of the quieter roadside stand. Unlike some jobs with an uptight or strict atmosphere, Henderson said that Mountain Mudd was completely the opposite. "[My favorite thing about Mountain Mudd] is probably the laid back atmosphere," Henderson said. "It's such a chill job, and my boss is fantastic and, in general, my customers are great." After being at the same place for so long, Henderson said she had gotten to know the customers and to interact with people she would not have otherwise met. Even though Henderson grew up in Searcy, she still enjoyed getting to meet new people on a regular basis. "I do have a lot of regulars," Henderson said. "I've been working there for about two and a half years, and I've developed relationships with people I see every day or every other day. These aren't people I'd normally hang out with, and I don't see them anywhere else except for chance encounters in Searcy, but it really does make for an interesting dynamic." Not only did Searcy residents benefit from Henderson's job with Mountain Mudd, but her family did as well. Freshman Jarisa Robert Fisk Aundrey Flewellen Flor Flores Jessica Fontenot Bonnie Foreman Steven Foster Natalie Foutch Kylie Free Julianna Fritz Hannah Gann Marissa Gann Dara Garcia Austin Garner De'Onte Garrett Chelsea Gastineau Jessie Gatlin Laci Genry Sara Anne Gill Mary Glazener Debbie Godinez- Flores Kody Goings Michelle Gomez Gutierrez Lucy Gonzales Kristen Gorski Reynoso, Henderson's sister, enjoyed the times that Henderson would use her barista skills to make treats at home. "She makes the best strawberry smoothies," Reynoso said. In addition to working at Mountain Mudd, Henderson had also been involved with Harding for a long time because her father, Allen Henderson, worked for the university as an assistant professor of education. She appreciated that she had established roots in a small community and watched how things changed through the years. "Growing up in Searcy was good," Henderson said. "It's a pretty small town, so there's a real sense of community, and it's cool seeing how everyone interacts as they grow up together. It's a quiet town, in a sense, but you can find things to do if you try hard enough. It is what you make it." Although Mountain Mudd was one of the lesser-known sources of gourmet coffee in Searcy, Henderson enjoyed the relationships she had formed with the customers that visited the roadside establishment. That environment of personal relationships kept Henderson involved with Mountain Mudd and gave her the desire to do her best to serve her customers. "She is a very dedicated person, whether it be to her work, her family, or her friends," senior Hillary Miller said. Alexis Hosticka Freshmen 1169
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