Meet the Campus | Sodexo employee Milka 

The VU is a lovely place to study and follow lectures. At other times it is a not so lovely place to go to, for example if you have to take an exam, or if you are having a hangover. However, it is always a good idea to go to the Aureus (8th) floor and get a panini or a cappuccino at Sodexo, where Milka from Croatia works! Because every student should know who is working on our floor and who makes those delicious panini’s, we decided to put Milka in the spotlights in our column ‘Meet the Campus’.

Hi Milka, can you tell us a bit about yourself?

“My name is Milka, I work at the VU for almost 15 years, quite a long period… But I still find it interesting and fun!”

Where are you from?

“I am from Trogir, Croatia.”

Why did you move to the Netherlands?

 “I moved to the Netherlands because of love…  My husband was my neighbour in Croatia and he always had a city crush on Amsterdam. So when our daughter was two years old we moved to the Netherlands and bought a restaurant in Haarlem. I have been living in the Netherlands for more than 30 years now.”

What kind of restaurant did you have?

“It was a restaurant where we cooked Croatian food. We decided to sell it after 15 years, because business was slowing down due to a two year long road construction in front of the restaurant.”

So you like cooking?

“Yes, I do!! A lot actually.”

If you can be a celebrity for one day who would you like to be?

 “Do not laugh… I am actually a big fan of the Royal Dutch House. So of course I would be Queen Maxima.”

Back to the VU, what do you like about working at the 8th floor?

 “The difference in age, there are people from 18 to 90 years. I still see the same faces as I did a couple of years ago. Sometimes it happens that someone has graduated and comes back to work at the VU! They say ‘Hey are you still here!?’.”

How can people annoy you at your work?

“When a customer ‘accidentally takes a double coffee’ and only pays for one. But I am not fooled so easily!!”

 What is the craziest thing that happened once during your workday?

 “When a student from Italy came to the 8^th floor and started singing and playing guitar for me. We are friends on Facebook now!”

If you can choose to work where you want at the VU, which place would you choose?

“The 8^th floor, for sure! A lot of different people: students, professors and other older people, who follow lectures. It is fun talking with them!”

What is your plan for the future?

“We want to go back to Croatia, however our daughter wants to stay in the Netherlands.”

Last but not least! What is your favourite Panini?

“Vega, but actually I like everything…”

Do you want to read more about who is working at our campus? Click here to read about Marvin, the Spar University Manager. Furthermore, would you also like to become a manager? Click here to check out our vacancy platform.