Kahlil Wells

Assistant Director, Stanford Dining, West Campus

Kahlil Wells feels like he grew up on campus. After all, he started working in the Lagunita Court residential dining hall when he was 15 years old serving global business leaders who were enrolled in the Stanford Executive Program.

That was 22 years ago. Since then Kahlil has held many different "hats in the kitchen" and has taken advantage of the educational leadership opportunities Stanford has to offer. Professional development courses and the Manager Academy helped him rise through the ranks, holding everything from supervisorial to managerial positions and now assistant director.

He loves working with students and finds their enthusiasm infectious. For him, it's a privilege to watch the students grow in the four short years they are on campus.

“I believe students are the reason we are here, and it is incredibly rewarding to play a role, no matter how small, in their education and experience here at Stanford,” says Kahlil.

Kahlil believes the best reward of working here is being part of the excellence Stanford represents. That’s why he strives to be an asset and works to make everyone he interacts with feel like he’s done something special for them. No wonder Kahlil is one of the 2015 Amy J. Blue Award winners—a distinction given to staff members who are exceptionally dedicated, supportive and passionate about their work.

“To me, Stanford is a family of incredibly dedicated and professional individuals who are the best at what they do,” he says.

Kahlil is obviously no exception.