Gabbi Hawthorne dreams of becoming a school principal one day. First, she will go to college for teaching, possibly special education.
For now, the 2020 high school graduate is gaining loads of experience working with students and teachers at Miriam School. Her official duties are extended day coordinator and lunch/staff assistant. But to the staff and students, she is so much more than that.
Need help with an in-class project? Office work? Decorating a bulletin board? Gabbi will do it all – and so much more – with a smile. “I do whatever they need me to do.”
Head of School Mary Cognata concurs. “The staff and kids would all agree that Gabbi is unfailingly helpful. She’s reliable, dependable and creative, and the kids really respond to her kindness and her interest in them.”
The feeling is mutual. Gabbi says she just loves to see the kids’ faces and interact with them. “I love all the kids. Even though they’re wearing masks, you can just tell they are so happy, and it’s so nice. I’ve never had a job where I want to go to work – I enjoy coming here every day.”
She put college on hold for a year due to COVID-19, but she is ready to start classes in the fall, to start working toward her degree in education. She’s hoping to take most classes online, though, so she can continue working at Miriam.
Gabbi’s favorite thing about Miriam is the caring she witnesses in the building each day. “Everyone here really cares about each other and wants to see everyone succeed.”
