Brenda Poletti, Student Services Secretary: How blessed I am that leaving makes saying goodbye so hard… As the saying goes, people will forget what you said; people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you make them feel. I am incredibly proud to have so many fond memories of my Creekview family, making me feel special in so many ways. As I travel back through these memories, too many specific days and times that have been filled with all the emotions that have played a role in my daily routine: laughter, fun, sadness, surprise, excitement, stress – the list goes on, I am thankful the good and fun-filled times far outweigh the not so good times. I was so excited to join the Creekview team 15 years ago and walk through the doors of our new school. It was exciting (and exhausting at times) to be involved with the start-up of a new school. My anticipation and hope were that I could make a difference in the lives of our students. As it turned out, the students were the ones who inspired and lifted me up daily. A quick drop-in just to say hello to me or a fun-filled jab exchange between the students and me as they visited Student Services …and my giving each graduating senior class grief about turning in their end-of-year documents. Many mornings, I purposely walked slowly into the school as I listened to the car rider students saying goodbye to their families. It touched my heart to hear the students/parents exchanges of the last words spoken of, “I Love You,” – very powerful memory as I feel the love and support of family is very important. A workplace is so much more than where an individual goes to earn money. The relationships and bonds that I have built with the various awesome counselors that I have had the privilege to work with throughout my years is priceless. As most people simply know us as a team, I know we are much more than that; they are not only my colleagues but are also my true friends, confidants, a shoulder to cry on and sharing silly jokes played on each other – and I will never forget the teasing they gave me regarding my southern accent and the mispronunciation of our student’s name over the intercom. What fun memories! As I ride off into the proverbial sunset, and will exit the same doors I walked through over 15 years ago with such excitement regarding what the future held for me, our students, and our community with such a beautiful new school building, I walk out filled with nostalgia and a bit misty-eyed but not without that same excitement with what the future holds for my new adventures and the continued growth and prosperity for Creekview High School. “Our legacy is really the lives we touch, the inspiration we give, altering someone’s plan, if even for a moment, and getting them to think, cry, laugh, argue.” – Carrie Hamilton I want to thank all the colleagues, staff, and parents who have made my years at Creekview so enjoyable. I will never forget you and the many experiences we have shared. I leave you with the hope that I have touched and inspired your lives in some small way throughout my career and that I leave a positive and meaningful legacy that contributed to the success of Creekview High School. Go Grizzlies!!!