With the new school year up and running, it’s time to get to know three very new and important figures that serve both the staff and students here at Hempfield!
Ms. Apodaca, Mrs. Levine, and Ms. Bower all have taken up the role of secretaries here at the high school. To newcomers, they may be unaware of their arrival. To veterans and upperclassmen here at the high school, they are the people you go to when in need of a pass or information. However, these three incredible women offer and experience much more than meets the eye, and their hard work has only just begun!
When they first arrived, their first impressions of the students and staff here were quite impactful. For instance, Ms. Bower’s experience was that, “…everybody is so welcoming, and they’re always here to help. More experienced teachers stop here, as well as, the staff admin anytime I have a question.” These simple acts of kindness and assistance has helped Ms. Bower greatly as coming from a career in vet medicine to being a high school secretary is quite the change. This, however, has not stopped Ms. Bower from excelling at her new position.
This job does come with quite a few challenges as well. The most prevalent being the busy mornings here at the high school. Ms. Apodaca can attest that the mornings are the most “fun” as absent teachers in need of coverage and students in need of tardy or dismissal passes can make things quite stressful. However, to Mrs. Levine, she faces the challenges head on and is tentative to each and every problem that arises. Mrs. Levine understands how, “…everybody’s thing is important to them, so you just always have to keep that in mind…You just have to treat others the way you’d want to be treated…you don’t know how that person’s day was going before they reached you.”
Despite the nerves of a new environment and busy mornings, Hempfield’s events and traditions interest its newest family members beyond the workplace. Ms. Apodaca shares her anticipation best as, “I am looking forward to graduation!” Mrs. Levine also shares the same excitement for this end of the year celebration.
Lastly, when it comes to new journeys, the unexpected is bound to happen. For Ms. Bower, this generalization remains true, especially considering the big career change she’s made. She quotes, “In my previous job, I had more demanding responsibilities, and it’s really nice to not have as much demand…it’s nice to sort of be able to enjoy the students coming in and having conversations with them, enjoying teachers, and just really getting to know everybody on a different level.”
Whether it’s in the office, hallways, or outside of school, the impact of both these new secretaries on the school and vice versa has surely not gone unnoticed. This small snippet into the hard work and dedication that Ms. Apodaca, Mrs. Levine, and Ms. Bower put into their job is just a glimpse of the immense amount of effort they all put in to ensure that everyone has what they need. Effort that will inevitably continue from these three amazing new secretaries.
