Smiles from the Commons: a spotlight of Teresa Peck
Campus October 26, 2025, Comments OffCollege life can be incredibly fast paced. With the stress of schoolwork and hectic schedules involving extra circulars, refreshing kindness goes a long way. In between stressful classes and tight deadlines, a smile and a greeting can be enough to break up the day, bringing comfort to all students. This kindness is found in its truest form every day, here–on Drury University’s campus in The Commons, the on campus dining cafeteria. There to welcome students without fail from the entryway table sits Teresa Peck. For nine years, Teresa has made a difference in the daily life of Drury students.
“She has intention to be kind,” says Gracie Limmer, a senior here at Drury, while reflecting on how Teresa has proven to make her day better repeatedly over the years.
Avery Mercer, a junior, appreciates Teresa’s thoughtfulness, explaining, “I’ve been here for two and a half years, and she still remembers my name and knows who I am. She always says hi and bye to me and asks me about my day.”
It is her attentiveness that makes students feel seen and valued by Teresa. She takes the time to extend warmth to students, calling many by their first name. No matter what, Teresa always is positive and encouraging to the students that walk in and out of the commons’ doorways on a daily basis.
Born and raised in the Springfield and Strafford area, Drury University has been a part of Teresa’s life for many years. Teresa is the second generation to work here, following her mother who worked on campus for nearly six years herself.
When not engaging with the students on campus, Teresa and her family enjoy taking trips to her grandparents’ land on Table Rock Lake. “I love the lake,” she expressed, sharing the times she has spent there with her loved ones. She enjoys spending time there and at home with her daughter and son.
Having children of her own, being a mother has given her a unique perspective that she brings to working with and around the students on campus. “I treat you guys the way I’d want somebody to treat my kids,” she said, discussing what motivates her to show up each day with a smile on her face. She continued, explaining how she has made it to nearly ten years working at the university. “I miss seeing you guys. So, I just keep coming back.” It is the students who motivate her to return each year.
Teresa is a friend to all on campus, and everyone loves her deeply. The bond she has created with the student body is truly special and felt by everyone who has had the pleasure to be met with Teresa’s smile and kind words.
Photo courtesy of Isabelle Woidela
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