Within the last two weeks, Scott Eaves visited the University of Jamestown for the first time, got a new job, proposed to his girlfriend and moved to Jamestown from Michigan.
Eaves recently accepted the executive chef position at the University of Jamestown. He said he is training next week and starting work at the school on Monday, April 17.
“I’m really excited to get in there and show them what I’m capable of,” Eaves said. “The school had a good food program, but I want to take it further and give the students a good experience.”
Eaves and his girlfriend, Rachel Jennings, came to the city for his job interview last week and to check out the area. Eaves proposed to Jennings when they were at the World’s Largest Buffalo statue.
“He might say I was surprised, but I was not surprised,” Jennings said.
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The couple then flew back to Michigan, packed up and drove back to Jamestown, Eaves said.
“It all happened so incredibly fast,” Jennings said. “I had a feeling he was going to get the job, I just knew.”
Tena Lawrence, UJ vice president of marketing and communications, said Eaves was just so excited about North Dakota, and the university is thrilled to have him on campus.
Eaves said he and the school are hoping to be able to cater for the community more, and are trying to get out there as a catering venue because the school has the space available.
Eaves said he had never heard of knefla soup until coming to Jamestown, and it’s a requirement for him to learn to make that very well.
Eaves is from Saginaw, Mich., about 100 miles north of Detroit, and Jennings is from Brighton, Mich., a suburb of the city.
The area where the couple are from is very fast-paced, and people are always in a rush, Eaves said. They also had to commute 30 to 45 minutes for jobs, so the low level of traffic in Jamestown is a nice change, he said.
“We love the small-town feel and people here are so friendly and nice,” Eaves said.
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Jennings said everyone here seems to know each other, and even if they don’t, they treat you like they do.
“It feels like everyone looks out for each other,” Jennings said. “When we came here, I felt home.”
A previous version of this story incorrectly spelled Eaves' last name as Evans.
