Meet Scott MacHattie: Special Olympic Athlete and Sodexo Employee
Scott MacHattie is one of Patheon Mississauga’s dedicated cafeteria team members.
Scott began his journey with Sodexo Canada in August of 2017 at the Patheon Mississauga site that he still calls his home unit. Prior to joining Sodexo, Scott had experience in several other food service roles, including chain restaurants and grocery stores. He’s also completed a culinary program at Humber College, where he learned about WHMIS, Knife Handling Skills, Smart Serve and Safe Food Handling.
Scott’s parents hired a job coach named Monica to assist him in finding a suitable role where he could use his many talents and experiences. With Monica’s help, Scott found and applied for the Sodexo job posting, then interviewed with the GM and eventually got offered a Dishwasher role. When asked about the process, Scott said “The interview was easy. I practiced interview questions with Monica.”
That was over 5.5 years ago, and Scott continues to be a huge support and asset to his team at Patheon.
When asked about his favourite part of the role, Scott said,
"Being responsible for getting jobs done in the dish area. My favourite things to do are manage the three sinks, check expiry dates, and go outside to do the recycling.”
He also loves eating lunch in the café every day.
Like any role, there are always challenges to overcome. For Scott, one of the main challenges he mentioned is working in a smaller space, which means sometimes his teammates can get in the way. He does his best to help his teammates find what they need, as well as share the space when the workload gets heavier on busy days.
Recently, Scott has taken on a coaching role in the dish area, helping new staff members learn the processes and procedures for proper dishwashing and sanitizing.
When speaking about working with Scott, his co-worker Nader commented, “He’s a pleasure to work with and a very hard worker and very organized.”
Upon being asked why he chose food service as a career path, Scott responded, “I have a passion for cooking and working.” His General Manager, Samantha, added, “Scott is always excited about taking on new jobs and never complains about the work ahead of him. He’s methodical in his processes, and you can always rely on him to do things the way they’re meant to be done without cutting any corners.”
While his responsibilities in the dishwashing area keep him busy most days, Scott is working on expanding his role within the kitchen and Sodexo. Some of the tasks he’s working towards taking on include helping with food prep when needed, stocking the fridges, helping deliver catering, and keeping the storage areas tidy and clean.
Outside of his work with Sodexo, Scott is very active in athletics, including Special Olympics basketball, ice hockey, soccer, swimming, and floor hockey. When he isn’t on the field or a rink, he enjoys lifting weights, biking and spending time with his Halton Down Syndrome Association friends, his girlfriend Brianna and his family. He also loves to dance!
Overall, Scott has been an extremely reliable and hardworking member of the team. When asked if he had anything he wanted to share, he replied, “I am grateful for my job. I have Down Syndrome, and I am OK with it, are you?”
Learn more about how we provide inclusive and equal opportunities at Sodexo.