Jodie Mortag, the Associate Professor of Writing, was a first-generation college student, who came from a family that worked in a local cheese factory. Mortag worked alongside her family at Grande Cheese, and during her time at Grande Cheese she learned values that guided her educational journey.

Mortag worked during the summer at Grande Cheese in 2004 and transitioned to full-time after she received her degree from Lakeland University in 2006. Mortag explained her position at the factory, “I worked 12 hours on the day shift making fresh mozzarella balls the size of marbles all the way up to baseballs. My job was to cut, flip, and then shred 12 lb. blocks of cheese to prepare it for cooking.” Then, in 2007, she left to pursue her MFA in Creative Writing at Wichita State University. Mortag stated, “As cheesy as it sounds, I’m very proud of the mozzarella that I spent almost four years crafting. It’s damn good cheese.”

When asked if Mortag was scared or apprehensive about college when diving headfirst into the journey she responded, “I was not, for although my parents weren’t academics but blue collared factory workers, they taught me something that was more important that could not be found in books–work ethic.” Mortag gained many skills during her time at the cheese factory. She met people from all different walks of life and through that she learned how to communicate efficiently. The time in the factory also changed how she looked at the world. Mortag remarked, “I learned how to navigate the world through a process.” The experience in a cheese factory instilled Mortag with a work ethic and new skills that helped her to achieve her accomplishments. Mortag added “I don’t believe I would have accomplished all that I have as a teacher and writer if not for them installing this ‘go go, you-can-sleep-when-you’re-dead attitude in me.’”

Mortag has used the time spent in the factory as a muse for many poems, but her favorite is called, “My Mother Comes Home.” The poem below highlights her memories of her mother when she was a little girl.