【Epoch Times March 28, 2025】The news of Ms. Huang, a graduate student from Peking University who chose to stay on campus as a canteen management trainee after graduation, has sparked discussions online and trended on March 28.
In a video, Ms. Huang revealed that she graduated with a master’s degree from Peking University in 2022 and started working in the university canteen as a canteen worker. Prior to this, she had interned at state media and internet giants, facing WeChat messages early in the morning and also at night. Transitioning to work in the canteen after graduation, she found herself busy from morning until after lunch cutting cucumbers and peppers, sometimes having to chop a large basin of peppers in the morning, with her hands getting sore from the spiciness. Initially, she had a hard time adjusting but managed to get through it.
Speaking about income, Ms. Huang mentioned that her classmates now earn around ten to twenty thousand yuan per month, while she only earns five to six thousand yuan. However, she expressed that this is a result of different choices. How much others can earn is their own business, and how much she can earn is hers.
Regarding her family, Ms. Huang disclosed that she is from Hunan province, with her parents working as bus drivers. In their region, few children have the opportunity to get into top universities like Peking University. Her parents have mixed feelings about her working in the canteen as they find the food industry to be hard labor, and they don’t want their child to endure the same hardships.
Ms. Huang mentioned that compared to working in large corporations, being a canteen worker doesn’t require as much mental labor. She expressed, “It is the happiest time of my life so far.”
Responding to questions from netizens on her Weibo account, she clarified that her choice to be a canteen worker was not due to a lack of better options, but because she feels a special emotional connection and respect for this job. She stated, “I know many people may think I am wasting my education background and talents, but I don’t see it that way. I believe every job has its own value and significance. As long as you put your heart into it, you can showcase your abilities. I don’t feel being a canteen worker is inferior to other jobs; instead, I see it as an honor.”
According to her Weibo account, as of March 28, 2025, she is still rotating shifts at the Peking University canteen.
Ms. Huang graduated from the School of Journalism and Communication at Peking University in 2022, initially working as an office clerk at the Peking University Dining Center and later becoming a management trainee in July 2024. As per her social media posts, during her rotation, she is required to handle tasks such as ingredient procurement, counter service, and dish development as part of the goal to “build a healthy canteen system in ten years.”
After Ms. Huang’s story was revealed, it sparked discussions online, with both praise and opposition.
Those who praised her choice believed that she is a courageous and responsible young person. Some netizens remarked, “The purpose of education is to have freedom of choice, not to be bound by degrees.”
On the other side, critics pointed out the contradiction between the “prestige of Peking University” and the role of “canteen worker” as a waste of educational resources, questioning if her talents are being underutilized. One comment read, “Is it a waste for the country to invest over 500,000 yuan in nurturing a graduate student for washing dishes and serving food?”
A netizen under the username “EvaSladkaya” commented, “Graduates can find many competitive jobs, such as engineers, programmers, software developers, financial accountants, educators, medical professionals, lawyers, environmentalists, advertising designers, transportation managers, cultural and tourism sectors, etc., in different industries. The first job is crucial, and being a canteen worker is truly underestimating her potential! Perhaps this graduate sister can leverage this exposure for self-promotion and consider switching careers sooner with the future pay.”
However, some netizens acknowledged the current challenges in job-hunting, with intense competition in various industries, emphasizing the importance of securing a job to sustain oneself.
One netizen, “ZY007G3,” stated, “For young people, it is even more challenging to find work after delaying retirement. Having a job first is more important.”
Another netizen, “YongCaiWenVL,” added, “The satiated have no understanding of those who are hungry. Do you think a journalism graduate from Peking University can immediately work as a professional journalist after graduation? Dream on! It’s better to stay at school and be a janitor!”
According to the official public account of the Peking University Dining Center, the center is an essential service institution providing catering to all faculty, staff, and students of the school. Established in June 2000, the center has undergone organizational changes from Food and Accommodation Department, Food Science Department, and Refectory Department to its current name. It is responsible for catering services for the entire campus community, offering basic meal supply, specialty catering services, and catering for some major academic conferences and important events. It currently employs over a thousand staff members.
As indicated in their recruitment notice, the management trainees at the Peking University Dining Center are primarily involved in assisting in developing center-related development plans, improving food safety and nutritional analysis regulations, and participating in canteen operational management tasks.