Mina Mackey

Food & Beverage Team Leader, Warwick Food Group

“I came here looking for any job that would help pay the bills, but I found much more than that.”

“Before coming to the UK and Warwick, my life had already taken me on quite a journey. I grew up in the Philippines and later moved to Hong Kong for work and that’s where I met my husband, who was serving in the British Army.

When it was time to leave Hong Kong, we had a choice, Canada or the UK. Canada seemed like it was going to be too cold for me and my husband’s family were in England, so here I am! Coming here wasn’t easy though, the weather was a shock. I’ll never forget my first experience of snow, it hurt my face so much that my mother-in-law covered me in petroleum jelly to protect my skin! I was very lucky, my mother-in-law was Irish and understood what it felt like to move somewhere unfamiliar. She looked after me and made me feel welcome when I was far away from home. Without her support, things would have been much harder.

Family has always been the most important thing to me. I have two daughters, and I’m very proud of them. One studied law and now works in environmental sustainability and the other works in the pharmaceutical industry. We weren’t rich, so I always told them that education was the greatest wealth I could give them. If they got their qualifications and built happy lives, that was enough for me. They’ve done exactly that.

So how did I end up at Warwick? I’d been made redundant from a marketing and sales role and had two young children to support. I saw a vacancy for a cleaner and applied. I remember being told I was overqualified and being directed towards administrative roles, but sitting behind a desk was never really me. I like meeting people, being out and about, learning from others and getting satisfaction from helping them.

In the end, I found my way into hospitality at Warwick almost by accident, someone suggested I apply through Unitemps. The next thing I knew, I was being asked, “Can you start tomorrow?” Eighteen years later, I’m still here.

At Warwick, people often tell me I’m friendly. I think it’s because I treat everyone the same, one thing I’ve always had is respect for others. Whether someone is a student, a colleague, a senior leader or even royalty, they’re still just people. I respect everybody, but I’m never going to pretend to be someone I’m not, I couldn’t do it. That’s just not me.

Talking of royalty, one of my proudest memories was helping at an event attended by Princess Anne. Afterwards, the organisers passed on their thanks for the service I’d given, I even received a bottle of wine in recognition. Moments like that are lovely, but for me it’s always been about doing my job well and making people feel welcome.

The best part of working here has always been the people. Every day I meet someone new, hear a different story or learn something I didn’t know before. That’s what keeps the job interesting after all these years. I still enjoy walking behind the counter, meeting people and being part of their day. I’ve found friendships, opportunities and a community, Warwick has become my home.

Looking ahead, I’m starting to think about retirement. My husband recently retired and spends a lot of his time helping to care for his mother, so life is already beginning to change. I joke that if I retire too soon, I’ll end up spending my time rescuing things from being thrown away during his latest clear-out! For now, I’m still enjoying work and the people I meet every day, and I’m hoping to return to Uni House when it reopens.

Whatever happens next, my priorities are simple, spending time with family, staying happy and healthy, and hopefully one day becoming a grandmother. My daughters keep giving me pets instead of grandchildren, but I’m still hopeful. After all, life has taught me not to rush things, what’s meant to happen will happen in its own time.”