Taylor Dibbert
Kysselle is from Cameroon. She grew up in Yaoundé, the capital. Now she lives just a couple blocks away the Co-op.
She’s a cashier and has been working at the Co-op for fifteen months. When she first came to the U.S., she worked as a cashier at 7-Eleven. But she yearned for an opportunity in a large grocery store with better pay.
In addition to English, she speaks French and is learning Spanish. She spoke a little English when she arrived in the U.S. three years ago and has learned quite a bit since then. “I’m still learning,” she happily tells me.
“I miss home a lot,” she says. “Home is always home.”
Unfortunately, Kysselle is unable to visit Cameroon at this time because of political issues. To keep in touch with family back home she uses WhatsApp.
Kysselle says that the best part about working at the Co-op is experiencing the positive energy running throughout the store.
“People are human. People are kind. We spend a lot of time at work and you don’t want it to be stressful.”
“I’m happy to come here [to work] all the time,” she says. “I do it with a lot of pleasure.”
Her favorite Takoma Park restaurant is Mark’s Kitchen. She likes the burgers and fries. “It’s so comfortable to be there; you feel like you’re eating at home,” she says.
The Girl and the Vine is another one of her favorites.
Most of the time, however, she cooks for herself. She loves trying new recipes. One way she does that is by trying some of the prepared foods at the Co-op, which usually include recipes on the packaging.
Kysselle thinks Takoma Park is a charming “little city.” She appreciates the environment and all the trees. “People will smile at you or greet you on the road,” she says.
For a Co-op snack, she usually goes for cookies or chips. On the beer and wine front, she likes some of the Bold Rock Hard Ciders that the store carries. She also enjoys Guinness Extra Stout.
She likes to watch television shows on Netflix and has been watching a lot of “Grey’s Anatomy” recently. She’s also been watching “Good Witch.”
For her fantasy dinner party, Kysselle movingly tells me that she’d want to invite the handful of people who have helped her and supported her since she came to the U.S. One lives in Washington, D.C., two live in Takoma Park and another lives in Columbia.