Students walk through the doors every day, but many fail to appreciate the woman that is there to greet them. Dana Wells has been working as the EHS secretary for the past two years. From signing kids in and out of school, to assisting with afternoon bus duty and taking over as a substitute teacher whenever needed, Wells does much for the school. Every morning, she is at her desk greeting students with a smile. Not only that, but she comes up with a new fun idea for a question. Most of the time, the questions being an “either or,” but sometimes they have multiple different options like which Hogwarts house is the best.
“It’s so much fun getting to know each of the students, learning more about them, and their preferences,” Wells said.
Being a secretary rather than a teacher or counselor, Wells doesn’t get as much one-on-one time with students, so this is a great way to find out just a little about the students. It takes only a few seconds to think of the answer and tally. The question can be a range of things like “necklace or bracelet,” then the next day it’s “cat or dog.” With around 180 days in the school year, and a new poll every day, it takes imagination to come up with one for every day. Luckily, Wells doesn’t have to come up with them on her own.
“My own kids quickly got in on it and began offering a lot of suggestions. I also get a lot of great ideas from students and co-workers,” Wells said.
Spending all day seeing students, checking them in and out, talking to someone new, she will get suggestions from students. It’s especially helpful since she doesn’t just spend her time at EHS. Outside of the building Wells is running around trying to keep up with her kids busy sports schedules.
“I’m most proud of watching my kids grow into kind individuals who respect and care about others. I love that they stay true to themselves and have an amazing sense of humor,” Wells said.
Yet, even with balancing time for her kids’ schedules, her own schedule and spending time with her family, she still finds time to relax on her own. Whetherit’s reading a good book, watching a good movie, or even doing some writing, she enjoys just relaxing. Although, if she could, from time to time she would scuba dive. Wells has her scuba certification and has been certified for the past 10 years. Her favorite place she has gone scuba diving is Cozumel, Mex. “The marine life there is just unbelievably beautiful,” Wells said. From Bonne Terre Mine to Aruba, Wells has scuba dived in some of the most gorgeous places and would do it all the time if she could. Wells is proud of the ways she is able to help out at EHS.
“Each day is different so I always try to be prepared and jump in to help whenever I can,” Wells said.
