Humans of NGU: Bella Kuckel, connections and coffee
Abigail Thompson, Contributing Writer
Who fuels the world? Is it the gas stations that fuel our cars? Is it the jobs that fuel our bank accounts? Or is it the everyday people who serve us from behind the coffee bar? Bella Kuckel is one of those people who not only fuels her customers with caffeine, but she also fuels their souls with good conversation, connection and a love that she crafts into each cup of coffee.
Kuckel is a second-year student at NGU who majors in art. However, she doesn’t let her art simmer at the school. She takes her skills and applies them to her job. With graceful precision, Kuckel pours silky milk into the rich espresso, transforming the blank canvas of the cup into a swirling masterpiece of foam, like a fleeting work of edible art.
She is enthusiastic about the creativity she is able to embrace through each new flavor and specialty drink. When you step foot into her world of the Flying Fox, the coffee shop she is currently working at, you witness a giddy Kuckel looking at you over the counter with a gleam in her eyes as she waits to see what drink you challenge her with.
On top of her remarkable ability to create caffeinated concoctions, Kuckel also has the ability to connect and pour into her customers and coworkers as she pours coffee into their cups.
With a smile stretched across her face, she said, “One of my favorite parts about being a barista is the conversations I’ve had behind the bar with other baristas.” She loves to talk about everything under the sun with the people she interacts with.
She emphasizee, “I’ve talked about faith, I’ve talked about life, I’ve talked about trauma, I’ve talked about pretty much everything with other baristas.”
Kuckel uses her job to shine God’s love on people. She is one of those lights you can see God moving within as she connects to everyone around her.
Even with all the good she is able to share through connections, not every interaction she has is pleasant. She has dealt with management frustration, impatient people and downright rude customers.
Kuckel has experienced working at three separate coffee shops throughout her time being a barista. Each of these coffee shops taught her new lessons and new ways to use her skills to interact with all different kinds of people. Through the struggles, she is able to gracefully defuse many situations as her people skills take over. Kuckel is humble, kind and she invests in her relationships, even if it is only for a five minute conversation over a cup of coffee.
