EST IGH IDS AREWELL Because the school year has come to an abrupt end, proper goodbyes weren’t said. Farewells for the summer can already be difficult to say under normal circumstances, but for retiring staff, there will be no ‘next year.’ Although it is disheartening, their coworkers hope to leave them a token of their appreciation as the retirees draw close to the end of their careers. BY FAREEHA AHMAD
DESIGN BY XIAOYI ZHU
“I really, really, really enjoy teenagers. I think they got so much to offer the world, they just made me smile. They might make mistakes, sometimes big ones, and that’s how we all learn.” “The school isn’t run just by teachers, so she always had our custodians and our lunch staff and just everyone who makes the school run in our office, and you can tell people knew that she cared about them.” - Stephanie Higgins, special education strategist
PHOTO COURTESY OF MOLLY ABRAHAM
MOLLY ABRAHAM started working at West in 1984 as a special education teacher. At first, there were many learning curves to overcome, but after 18 years, she assumed the position of assistant principal and made connections with numerous teachers and students. She plans on using the same skills she has developed at West at nonprofits such as the Shelter House and the Domestic Violence Intervention program after she retires.
08
PROFILES MAY 21, 2020
“She helped make West High what it is. In her absence, it won’t ever be the same. It’s evident that her leadership and her compassion for West High shows up and that it’s going to take a lot for anyone to really fill her shoes. I’ll look forward to hearing what exciting things she gets to do in retirement.” - Christian Aanestad, art teacher “She’s a great boss, but she’s also a really good friend, and so she’s just one of those people that no matter what problem you take to her she helps you through it. She’s just so patient and kind. It’s so hard to imagine not having her there to go to.” - Ann Rocarek, language arts teacher “She says every single person’s name that is graduating, she’s done that for many years, and she practices saying all the names and saying them correctly. She would just go into her room and practice them over and over because she knows how important that is to hear your name and hear it correctly, and she wanted to get right.” - Katy Nahra, English teacher