Much-loved principal’s secretary at Bak, Rossana De La Roche, is retiring at the end of this school year, and she will leave behind a legacy that ensures she won’t be forgotten here any time soon.

“She is a kind, caring, wonderful human being and, as the head secretary, she makes sure everyone else in the front office is doing their job,” Tammy King, data processor at Bak, said.

De La Roche has worked at the school for 15 years, but she has been a part of the Bak community for even longer than that, as she had two children attend Bak before she stepped into her current position.

“I was inspired to work at Bak when I saw how wonderful the faculty and students were when I was a parent,” De La Roche said.

Working in the front office is not always fun though, according to De La Roche. She says that a critical part of her job is being accommodating to everyone who walks into the school, even if they are yelling at you.

“When someone comes up to you screaming, it can overwhelm and stress me out,” De La Roche said. “But no matter who walks through the door, I have to be friendly, and I am constantly dealing with different personalities.”

Even though she feels at home at Bak and will miss the students and staff greatly, De La Roche is excited to retire, as not having an everyday job gives her the opportunity to do things she is not able to do currently.

“I want to have a nice, quiet life where I can spend a lot of time with family, doing hobbies and even traveling,” De La Roche said. “None of which I can do consistently with my current schedule.” 

It is not just other members of the staff that admire  the secretary. Many students, including Jude Qatshan, seventh grade communications major, do as well.

“She is nice to everyone around the school and everyone that knows her, loves her,” Qatshan said. “She is just a very positive person and makes everybody smile when she talks to them.”

The mark that De La Roche has left on the school throughout her decade and a half here  is evident, and it is clear that she will be missed by both staff and students. Her desire to help, her positive and bubbly attitude and her caring manner have given her a permanent place in the Bak community.

“Everything I do at Bak, I do with love and care,” De La Roche said. “I am so lucky I found such a nurturing, incredible environment to spend a good portion of my career at.”