Ms. Burrell is not completely new to contributing to running schools behind the scenes, but this year we welcome her to Wilde Lake High School. You may find her as soon as you walk into Student Services; scheduling meetings, greeting parents, answering phones, and helping students, all while making sure the school runs smoothly.

“The biggest thing about this job is that you have to multitask,” she says while she writes a new pass for a student. Her desk has sticky notes with many reminders, college visits forms, and other student passes. Her daily routine includes scheduling 504 meetings, checking emails, and connecting students with their counselors. She also helps with the functions of the front office when they are short staffed. She handles all of this with the help of many student helpers.

Even with all of her responsibilities, she does not believe this job is stressful. She says “When things get chaotic, I just try to stay calm and get this done.” Before taking on her current role in Student Services, she worked at the Wilde Lake Middle School front office. She says “You have to figure out what to do on your own,” and working at WLMS “taught me how to balance a lot of things at once. That background really made the transition easier.”

Organization is one of her biggest tools for success, and her advice to anyone who is interested in the same position is “Keep sticky notes. Stay organized. Set your priorities.” 

For Ms. Burrell, her job goes beyond just scheduling and paperwork. What makes it worthwhile is the chance to connect with students and to connect them with other opportunities. She enjoys the relationships she gains with students, stating “Building relationships with students is what makes the job meaningful.”

Ms. Burrell credits one of her student help aids, Agnes, who she says makes a huge difference when Ms. Burrell has too many responsibilities on her plate. She says “Agnes answers phones, delivers passes, and takes the initiative to things without me even having to ask,” she also adds “Having someone who is proactive really helps down here.”

At the end of the day, Ms. Burrell maintains a healthy balance between work and home. Calm and organized, Ms. Burrell keeps Student Services running like clockwork! She deserves so much credit and recognition.