When Timberwolves think of great staff members, what comes to mind? Kindness? Caring? Hard-working? Having one of these traits is excellent, but all three are rare and unique. Luckily for Mt. SAC Early College Academy (MECA), all their front office managers, like Emily Hijar, who recently left for a new job at the district, and our substitute, Karen Mendoza, have had these traits.
Hijar, know as Ms. Emily to her students, was very loved by the MECA community; she had worked at MECA for about 4 years, since the 2021 school year. Hijar chose to leave to become one of the two buyers in the district’s Purchasing Department.
“Sometimes opportunities arise that encourage us to grow,” Hijar explained. “This new role allows me to focus on vendor and buyer relationships—a part of my office manager duties I’ve always enjoyed—and it felt like the right move. Leaving MECA mid-year was a difficult decision, but I couldn’t pass up this chance to embrace a new challenge.”
Even though she chose to move on, Hijar had a great time at MECA with many wonderful memories, great experiences, and exciting adventures that are unforgettable.
“[I have] so many amazing memories at MECA, it’s hard to pick just one,” she gushed. “My first day there was also the first day of Camp Timberwolf with Ms. Bell – that was when school finally reopened after the COVID shutdown. The first graduation at Mt. SAC was beautiful, and I was so proud to be part of it. And then, seeing my daughter Genevieve start at MECA as a Timberwolf, taking Ms. Hoffman’s art class – that was special.”
Many students were left with an excellent impression of Emily. As a great staff member who worked hard, everyone loved us.
One of these students, Samantha Ordanes, a senior, says, “[Ms. Emily] was actually the probably the first person I meet when I first came here to MECA and she was just genuinely inviting…[she]made me feel more comfortable and gave me the idea of having a open mind to this school.”
Hijar made the campus welcoming not only by being one of the first people to say hello to students in the morning but also in her interactions with each of them.
“You could go in and talk to her about anything,” Ariana Parra, senior, explained. “She was very friendly. She remembered all of the little details about you.”
With her leaving, she is learning some new things, such as how the district’s financial system works.
“I’m gaining an in-depth understanding of the school district’s purchasing process from start to finish, which is fascinating,” she explained. “It’s given me a new appreciation for how everything comes together.”
As administration searches for a replacement, Karen Mendoza is subbing for the position. The front office manager does a lot of work for the school. They maintain the schedule for the school, the principal, and the teachers when they go on any type of travel or conference in or out of the states; they are also in charge of the school’s budget, like ordering buses and classroom supplies.
“I handle all of the time reporting for all the staff and sometimes staff they might work on a Saturday or they might do tutoring,” says Mendoza. “There’s paperwork involved in that, so I handle that and any type of travel and conference that they’re doing. If they’re going on a conference, whether it’s local or out of state or where they might have to fly or have hotel accommodations, I do that as well. [It’s] a lot of administrative work.”
Mendoza has been retired for two and a half years and was a principal secretary for 28 years. After she retired, she decided to be a substitute secretary in the district, so when Hijar was relocated, she was called in to take on the job temporarily.
“I loved the work and you know I loved the students. I really enjoy being in this environment…even though I’m only here for a short period. The students are phenomenal, the staff is wonderful to work with, the principal, the assistant principal, the counselor, everybody here. I’m just really enjoying working with them.”
With Emily’s leaving and Karen’s coming, we say goodbye to one of our kind and caring staff members and welcome another as hard-working as her.
