A Clover Park School District story.
Our CPSD Staff Spotlight this week features Lakeview Hope Academy assistant secretary Mariana Bejar.
Mariana worked as an interpreter for the district for many years and began her time with Lakeview six years ago as a family involvement coordinator while continuing to interpret for events such as Coffee with The Principal. She became the assistant secretary in her second year at Lakeview and has become the face of the school for many students and families who visit the front desk for support or resources.
Mariana’s connection with the Lakeview community has not gone unnoticed as she was a 2022 Employee of the Year nominee for her hard work. “I just love it,” she said. “I’m trying to see every student as they walk in and remember all their names. I make an effort to be positive and understanding of everyone.”
Mariana’s positive personality soothes students when they enter Lakeview’s doors, but her communication skills are her greatest strength as a support for families. “We have a lot of Spanish-speaking families,” she said. “Since they know there’s someone here that speaks their language, I feel like they call in more and more for any concerns that they might have.”
Mariana knows the importance of overcoming language barriers because of her experiences and, though she is fluent in English and Spanish, she will always try to communicate with families from any language group.
“Wanting to help anybody, regardless of language, and making an attempt to communicate with people who don’t share your language is so important,” she said. “When I moved here, I was nine and I entered Clover Park School District speaking only Spanish, so I know how challenging it can be to communicate.”
When considering what keeps her smiling and supportive of students, staff and families every day, Mariana believes her kind and hardworking coworkers make all the difference in the world. “Being in a nice environment with such great staff makes you excited to come to work every day,” she said.
