Secretary day is fast approaching on April 26, 2023. Secretaries make jobs and day to day life run smooth yet they are not given enough credit. Secretaries who work specifically in an office environment will engage in a large range of tasks and activities throughout the day. These include: answering phones, assisting other members of the office such as the principle or vice principle, running daily reports such as attendance, helping people outside of the office with questions and concerns, etc.

     Mrs. Bowen is a secretary at the Hamburg Area High School office. Mrs. Bowen graduated from our very own Hamburg High school in 2002 and later earned her Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Speech Communications in the fall of 2006. She says, “I absolutely loved my time at Kutztown University!”

      Mrs. Bowen keeps her days busy with two kids and her own personal activities. Her day starts at 4:50 am everyday, waking up to prepare for her shift at the high school from 7:30-3:30 pm, Monday through Friday. After her shift ends she will take a walk around the neighborhood or take her 12-year-old daughter, Noelle, to dance class after school and in the evenings. When describing her evenings she states, “I enjoy helping Noelle, and her 14-year-old brother, Cameron, with their homework or whatever else they need.” Mrs. Bowen herself enjoys cheering on her favorite sports teams such as the Miami Dolphins (football) and Philadelphia Phillies (baseball). She also enjoys the Hallmark channel and shopping for clothes and shoes. However, the downside is doing laundry everyday which she also says is a part of her routine. 

      Mrs. Bowen describes her time working for the same school she attended as bittersweet. She states that there are many things that are the same about the school, including the layout of the school (minus the new gym, which was built after she attended), the class schedule, and even some of the teachers. Mrs. Bowen was in classes with teachers who are still teaching at Hamburg High School, including: Mr. and Mrs. Bucheit, Mrs. Cinicola, Mrs. Stevens, Ms. Kelly, and Mrs. Herman.

     There are also many things that are different within the school. The school’s cellphone policy has changed; when Mrs. Bowen attended, students were not allowed to use their cellphones during classes. Like mentioned previously, the new gym had not been built yet, and the old gym was the only place where gym was held. One other big change for the school was the TV studio. When Mrs. Bowen was in high school, the morning announcements were held over the phone or PA system due to the fact that there was no TV studio to broadcast announcements.

     The school day would not run smoothly without the amazing secretaries in the office. So, next time you are passing by make sure to stop in and ask Mrs. Bowen what her favorite Hallmark movie is!