A SMART space for opportunity
When Greenville University basketball player Andrew Scott left campus after graduation in 2016, he never thought God would call him back to Greenville to pursue his interest in culinary arts.
“Greenville has always been a home away from home,” Andrew says, adding that he experienced God calling him back to GU not once, but twice.
Originally from Long Beach, California, Andrew first came to GU as a transfer student to play basketball under Coach George Barber. After graduating with a degree in business management, Andrew pursued different job opportunities, including in culinary arts, but felt God directing him back to GU when an opportunity came up to be a graduate assistant for the men’s basketball team. The offer included earning a master’s degree.
Andrew Scott on the GU basketball team in 2015.
Andrew had never considered an MBA, rather, he planned on going straight into the workforce after graduation. He returned to GU because he knew the value of being surrounded by mentors.
“At Greenville, coaches, professors, everybody… is super intentional about getting to know [students],” Andrew says. “You get to develop mentorships and friendships with people that are much older than you. They taught and coached me through important phases in life, like when I was on the verge of proposing to my now wife, I talked with Coach Barber and Coach Cochrane to get advice.”
After earning his MBA, Andrew worked several sales-related jobs in the St. Louis area before he received another call from GU.
Because of the relationships Andrew developed at GU, some of his mentors, like Coach Stephen Groves, knew about his love for cooking and his desire to someday start his own food business. When GU’s startup restaurant Toastiez, posted an opening for a chef, Andrew’s name came up.
“The opportunity was perfect timing,” Andrew says. He’s served as Toastiez executive chef and kitchen manager since May. “To be able to step into a kitchen in a management position and get hands-on experience building out a brand-new restaurant really appealed to me. Knowing Greenville, there are typically good people involved, so it was hard to say no.”
Toastiez restaurant, housed in the SMART Center on Greenville’s town square, offers opportunities for not only Andrew, but GU students to gain entrepreneurial experience.
“You can empower students by giving them different opportunities, including [managing] our social media pages, or inventory,” Andrew says. “There are different potential great things that can come out of this opportunity and I think having this real-world experience will give students a jump start when they go to apply for jobs.”
Andrew and his wife Kristen expressed excitement about seeing what opportunities God opens up for them as they once again find their home in Greenville. The couple expects their first child in October.