The Heart Behind the Counter

Felicia Henry, known across Cleveland State as “Ms. Felicia,” has spent eight years welcoming students at the Law Link snack shop with a smile and a “good morning.”

Written by Sage Colón

Students passing through the law building at Cleveland State University often hear the same greeting as they walk by the snack shop.

“Good morning,” Felicia Henry says with a smile.

Known to students across campus as “Ms. Felicia,” this familiar face has become a welcoming presence for many students heading to class or grabbing a quick snack. Whether students stop to talk or simply wave while passing by, Henry makes a point to acknowledge them.

Sometimes, she even reminds them where they should be going.

“I’m always fussing at some of them, telling them to go to class 'cause I know they are late,” Henry said.

Henry has worked at Cleveland State University for eight years as a cashier in campus dining, working in several locations including the cafeteria, breakfast service and snack shops across campus.

“I basically worked in every area here in the food service at Cleveland State,” she said.

Henry was born in Chicago but has lived most of her life in Cleveland, where she moved when she was 2 years old. She said she has worked in food service for most of her life before eventually coming to the university in 2017, after a former supervisor encouraged her to apply.

These days, Henry’s mornings start before most students have set their alarms. She arrives on campus around 6:15 to 6:30 a.m., preparing for a day that stretches from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Most of that time is spent at the Law Link snack location, where a steady stream of students pass her counter and rarely leave without a greeting.

For Henry, the best part of the job is simple.

“The students. The students, the students,” she said.

Over time, many students have come to see Henry as more than just the person working behind the counter.

“A lot of times, they're looking for, like, a home figure, a home model, or an away-from-home mom,” she said. “That's what I consider myself as, an away-from-home mom.”

For Henry, that role is exactly why she makes it a point to speak to everyone she sees. A quick greeting can turn into a longer conversation. Sometimes she checks in. Sometimes she listens. Sometimes, she admits, “[she’ll] talk a little too much and carry on a conversation with them.”

Over time, those small exchanges have become almost instinctual. Even when she is stocking shelves or turned away from the counter, she often recognizes students passing through by their voice.

“Sometimes I can not be paying attention or have my back turned, and somebody will come past me like, ‘Hey, Miss Felicia, good morning,’” she said.

For many students, those greetings have become a familiar part of their daily routine in the law building.

Eli Wellman, a student at Cleveland State University, said Henry’s friendliness is one of the first things people notice when they stop by the snack shop.

“Miss Felicia is the sweet lady who is always at the Link Law store with a smile on her face,” Wellman said. “She is incredibly friendly and will talk to anyone.”

Her presence is noticeable even on days she isn’t working, he said.

“Whenever you walk past the Link, she will always greet you and say good morning, afternoon or evening, even if you have never said anything to her before,” Wellman said. “It truly puts a smile on my face whenever I walk past her, even if I’m having a hard or busy day.”

He explained that on days when Henry isn’t behind the counter, “it feels like something is missing on [his] walk in the Innerlink.”

Over the years, some students have also expressed their appreciation in unexpected ways. Henry said members of a graduating law class once gave her a special gift.

“The graduating class, the law class, they bought me a nice pullover,” she said. “I've gotten flowers from students. I've got cards.”

Henry believes small acts of kindness can have a bigger impact than people realize.

“Because it's so much going on in the world now,” she said. “Kindness goes a long way.”

For Henry, the goal of each interaction is simple. Whether students stop for a conversation or just pass by on their way to class, she hopes they leave feeling a little better. And if students remember one thing about her years from now, she hopes it is something just as simple.

“Me saying, ‘Good morning.’ Every morning… and me telling them that I'm here for them,” she said.

As students continue to pass the Link snack shop counter each day, that greeting is rarely far behind.