It's Pie Day at Monroe! Staff and Faculty are Gifted Freshly Baked Pies for the Thanksgiving Holiday

Thanksgiving is a time to pause and count our blessings, which must include the special people we surround ourselves with every day who make our days better and our lives more meaningful.

For the Jerome family that has led Monroe University for more than 90 years, the institution’s faculty and staff are at the top of the list.

That’s why, as a gesture of goodwill and appreciation, every employee at the University is given a delicious, freshly baked pie from Fleetwood Pastry Shop in Mt. Vernon. Monroe has been ordering the pies from the family-owned bakery for 20+ years.

“Pie Day is one of my favorite days of the year,” said Isonia Knight, an alumna of the University who now helps other students interested in studying here as a member of our Admissions staff in the Bronx. “It’s a very special thing that Monroe does for their employees that everyone appreciates.”

More than 750 pies were ordered this year, which is the largest order Monroe has placed since the “Pie Day” tradition began. That’s because President Marc Jerome expanded the pie giveaways this year to include community organizations, vendors, educational partners, law enforcement, and other first responders that serve our local communities. 

Two or three weeks before the pies arrive, employees are directed to an online form where they get to choose their pie flavor from among nine choices. In addition to the expected apple, pumpkin, pecan, and sweet potato pies, there are fruity flavors like cherry, blueberry, and peach to tropical flavors like coconut custard and key lime. 

On Pie Day, they are welcomed to stop by President Marc Jerome’s office for a heartfelt thank you and the gift of their pie to take home and share with loved ones over the Thanksgiving holiday.

Professor Angie Medina took home a sweet potato pie. Like Thanksgiving, Monroe is deeply engrained in her family’s story, and she counts herself, her husband, her two sons, her stepmother, her brother and his husband among our graduates.

“I think this is amazing,” Medina said as she received her pie. “The (pie tradition) is really so nice. It’s an acknowledgment of the hard work we’re doing. It’s little things like this that keep me in that Monroe family feeling.”

While Monroe could order the desserts in bulk from a warehouse store at a lower cost, the administration understands the importance of supporting small businesses, the economic engine of local towns. By partnering with Fleetwood Pastry Shop, the expense is being invested directly back into the community that has long supported our institution.

“The pies are a wonderful part of life at Monroe, and it’s even more meaningful that they choose to do it by partnering with a local bakery,” said employee Chinenye Nwogu, a member of our undergraduate Admissions team. “It makes you feel good all around.” 

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we thank our faculty, staff, student workers and supporters, near and far, for all you do to make Monroe University the place where students succeed and thrive. On this Thanksgiving holiday, we are grateful for this wonderful community that truly feels like family.