Beloved Café M staff member Joe Rios announced his retirement and completed his last day of employment at Marlborough on March 8. Rios is 63 years old and traveled over 13 miles to get to school each day. After working for about 30 years of his life, Rios decided to leave after he realized he was eligible for retirement. However, he leaves the community with a heavy heart.

“What I’m going to miss the most is everybody here,” Rios said. “Nowadays that really says a lot. I appreciate everybody here. They are so respectful and nice. I enjoy everybody, I enjoy working for everybody.”

Rios came to the Café M team at the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year. Rios was one of the cashiers who processed students’ payments for food throughout the day. Despite only being at the school for a year, Rios made a large impact on the Marlborough community, having formed personal connections with many students.

“Building the relationships that I have with everybody here is probably one of my greatest accomplishments,” Rios said. “A small conversation goes a long way. I never know if a student is struggling, but just engaging in a small conversation really contributes to a lot of positivity.”

Many students agree that Rios provided a daily dose of optimism. Ava ’27 said she enjoyed seeing Rios each day and was always honored that he took the time to check in with her and even remembered her name.

“I think that he probably remembered the names of most of the Marlborough students,” Ava said. “I think that he had a great impact. He brought a smile to so many people’s faces in the Café.”

Ela ’24 was shocked by his departure and agreed that the lack of his presence would be felt throughout campus.

“I’m really sad but happy for him at the same time,” Ela said. “You could always count on him to be there, always wish you a good day and always know your name. I think that’s special because most people don’t get to have that in their cafeteria.”

At the end of the day, Rios’s daily friendliness and constant positivity weren’t motivated by the promise of becoming a campus celebrity; it was just his natural attitude. Upon retirement, he’s grateful for how he was treated by the Marlborough students and faculty every day.

“I wasn’t trying to be popular. I’m just being myself,” Rios said. “I really appreciate that I’ve been so appreciated here.”