Getting to Know Our Medical Assitants, Secretaries, and Administrators at Northwest

The first person we asked questions to was Carin Philmon.  Carin is a medical assistant here at Northwest. She said that they do self-clinic, meaning they give shots and do anything you need if you’re sick. She was born and raised here in Omaha Nebraska. She said it’s a small town that you can raise a great family in. She’s unsure of her ethnicity. When we asked her what kind of music she had on her Spotify playlist, she said Beyonce, Cardi B, and a bunch of gospel songs. We learned that she went to Burke High School. As for her favorite food from another region, we found out Mexican food was something you “can never go wrong” with. Her favorite movie is Halloween, the one with Michael Myers. Carin told us that she loves her job because she loves helping people. Finally, when asked why she wanted to work here, she said, “My sister used to work here has a police officer years ago. I used to come up here and visit her, eat lunch with her all the time, and it always felt like home. I love helping kids. I’m a foster mother. I’ve been doing it for 23 years, so I just love helping kids. Then, I just said, ‘You know what? Let me just start doing a career that helps engage in this community.'”

Video recorded by Ashley Lopez Arcos.

The next person we got to know was Mrs. Andrea Richardson. She has done a few jobs here at Northwest, and she’s been here for 15 years. She started off as a basketball coach and did that for 13 years, then transferred to the nurse’s office. Now, she’s an attendance secretary. She was also born here in Omaha. When we learned what high school she went to, we were surprised to hear it was actually Northwest. Her ethnicity is Honduran, which comes from the country Honduras. Her Spotify playlist, like Carin’s, is full of gospel songs, and that’s all she really listens to. Mrs. R’s favorite food from another region is Italian food. As for her favorite movie, Mrs. R said she has a couple, but most of them are dance movies. Grease is her favorite, and she likes musicals most. When we asked Mrs. R why she chose to work here, she told us she wanted “to give back to the school that gave a lot to me.”

Video recorded by Ashley Lopez Arcos.

Ms. Bender was our next interviewee. Teresa Bender is a curriculum specialist, so she said she’s “sort-of” in charge of math, science, and pathway. Like our two previous people, she was born here in Omaha. She attended Omaha North High School. Ms. Bender’s ethnicity is all over the place. She said she took an Ancestry test and it’s “mostly like Northern Ireland, England, Welsh, Germany, those sorts of places.” Next, we asked her about her Spotify playlists, and she said she likes to make them by mood or by activity. She said she’s got a Halloween one right now that is her “jam.” Her favorite food from another region is empanadas, which are deep-fried pastries stuffed with meat. Ms. Bender’s favorite movie is The Wizard of Oz because she remembers watching it when she was young and still loves it. As for the thing that made her want to work at Northwest, she told us “I had always just heard great things about the students and staff here.”

Lastly, we interviewed Jay Opperman. You might see him in the halls sometimes at one of the desks. He said he helps teachers do some professional learning, and he’s in charge of the Title I budget, which is the money we get to help students in our school. He was actually born in Fargo, North Dakota. The high school that he went to is called Fargo North High School. His ethnicity is, as he said, “almost 100% German, maybe just a little bit of Dutch from a long time ago.” Mr. Opperman said if you went to his Spotify playlist you’d see Bruce Springsteen, U2, and Cat Stevens. His favorite food from another region is spaghetti. He has a couple of favorite movies, like Raiders of the Lost Ark or The Fugitive, both because of Harrison Ford. Finally, when asked about why he wanted to work here, he said he was “excited about the diversity here.”

Video recorded by Ashley Lopez Arcos.

It was really nice getting to know our nurses, teachers, and administrators a little better here at Northwest.