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The Rose & Portcullis Emanuel School Alumni Magazine 2020
2 0 Y E A R S at E M A N U E L Joyce Acan, Laura Fitzgibbon, Sophie MacMillan and Anabel Zaratiegui joined Emanuel in 2000. We asked them to reflect on their 20 years and on what has changed since they joined. mum always said that you don’t need to have a hundred friends; you just need one who will listen to you and care for you, keep your secrets. That’s Huma. I also get on very well with Cheryl, of course. We’ve worked together for 15 years now. The biggest challenge I’ve ever faced is losing my mum suddenly. Without Emanuel, I don’t think I would have coped well. Emanuel was my backbone and gave me so much support and time to grieve.
JOYCE ACAN Visitors to the Sixth Form café, lured by the smell of home-baked cookies, are met by Joyce Acan’s unfailing positivity, broad smile, infectious laughter and friendly conversation. She and Cheryl, who jointly run the cafe, are always remembered fondly by OEs who come back to visit. “Taking the job with the Catering department at Emanuel in 2000 was the best thing I’ve ever done. It was an all-female catering team back then and they were fantastic; I learnt so much about teamwork and caring for each other from them. I was the youngest among the catering staff and they nicknamed me Joycie Baby.
It’s a blessing and it’s so rewarding. People think I only sell coffee but I support so many students too; sometimes I’m their surrogate mother and counsellor. I try my best to make them feel at home. I welcome all students into the café and they just talk to me. The main advice I give to the kids is to be good to their parents, be motivated, don’t pick arguments, be patient and listen. I also tell them not to jump into things and to be good to each other.
I feel very strongly about Emanuel. We all work hard; everyone does their best and it's a very strong community full of wonderful people. I really missed Chris Labinjo when he retired. Joyce always lights up the Sixth It was also very I started running the Form centre with her vibrant Sixth Form café ten challenging when years ago. The café humour and hilarious personality. Kate Bainbridge told existed before that She’s our Sixth Form mum and I me she was moving but the students to another school. really miss seeing her every day. I’d worked with used to serve themselves and we Kate for ten years took tea and coffee and she was always up. When Mark Hanley-Browne gave me so supportive, caring and a great listener. the job, he said he wanted me to take care I get on well with everyone in the school, of the kids and make sure they felt at home though. I'm very close to Huma Malik who and that’s what I’ve been doing ever since. I’ve known for more than 15 years. My
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I’m coping fine with the lockdown. I came to the UK in 1989 to escape the war in Uganda. During the war, we were hiding in the bushes and didn’t know what we were going to eat. It was incredibly difficult and scary. At least this is just lockdown and we can buy food. I told the students who came to me in tears when the school closure was announced to stop crying; they can take care of themselves and pull through. I know it’s really tough for them, though. I’ve been at Emanuel for 20 years and I’ve never seen so many kids cry like that. I’m still planning to get married in the school chapel. I pray there every week with the Sixth Form and I met my fiancé at Emanuel so it’s fitting that we’re getting married there. You wouldn’t believe that despite working in the café for 10 years, I don’t actually drink coffee! I drink lemon tea sometimes but most of the time, it’s just water.
