
I love what I do and who I do it for. If I’m having a busy and stressful day, I can go into a kindergarten classroom and the young students just light me up right away
I’m the Business Service Manager here at Friendship Armstrong Academy and I’ve been with Friendship Public Charter School since 2004. I had one brief hiatus when I left for two years and went to another charter school but I came back.
I’m a “behind-the-scenes” kind of person. I like to make sure that the teachers have everything they need. It makes me happy when everything comes together smoothly, resulting in a meaningful program or aesthetically pleasing building.
It is crucial to keep an up-to-date schedule. As a Business Manager, I work closely with Human Resources, Finance, and Maintenance. All of my tasks are organized by day: I complete finance-related tasks on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and I do purchasing for the building, events, and field trips on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Being at a school, of course, things always come up, so I have to stay flexible.
What do you like about Friendship?
I know you manage the Friendship Armstrong Facebook page, and you do a really awesome job at that, but I was wondering if you have any suggestions for any other school that wants to expand their online presence?
I have had a lot of mentors along the way, including Ms. Brantley, Mr. Speight, Mrs. Bhegani, and Mr. Waller – all amazing people that I’ve worked very closely with. They give me support where I need it, and the support factor is really important for me. This is another reason I came back. I also enjoy the new support systems from Armstrong such as Principal Cowan, Mr. Harris, and Ms. Hayden.
I’m a classically-trained opera singer, and I’ve been singing opera since I was 10 years old. I’ve been to Paris, France, Lucerne, Switzerland, and Munich, Germany. I’m especially excited for Armstrong to now be offering such a robust performing arts program. Also, I am not as hard on staff as others might think but don’t tell anyone.
What have you learned during this temporary transition to online learning?
We all can learn new things and adapt. Our school community has come together in such a powerful way. Our parents love the interaction and the classroom work on Zoom and Google classrooms. I post on social media every day to share our new innovative ways to teach and connect. Even those of our teachers who aren’t as tech savvy have been learning with the support of colleagues and administrators. I believe we all have grown from this challenge.