Life as an Office Aid

Hutton Hegbloom, a junior at Lakeland High School, sits in his first-period class dazing off. The next thing he knows, his teacher hands him a note that is sending him to the office. Snapping out of the daze, he grabs the note and walks down the hallway while reading it.

This happens to most students at LHS eventually, and most students know the steps involved with receiving a note. The person that needs them gives a note to the office and an office aide takes that note and runs it down to whatever classroom the student is in.

However, what most don’t know, is that running notes isn’t the only things office aids do.

Anytime you call LHS, you’ll often be greeted by an office aide with a phrase like, “Lakeland High School, student speaking.” The aide will redirect you to whoever you need to speak to.

Additionally, the aides will fill up the printer and copiers around the school with new paper. The task is a little slow, but it’s never that busy at the office. 

It is also up to the aides to help sign in or sign out students who either are arriving late or early for the day. They also make the late notes that students hand in to their teachers.

Aides also will complete any random tasks that the office administrators need to complete. 

The process of becoming an office aide isn’t that hard of a task. Typically, students put it on their schedule by talking with their counselors. The counselors then create a list for the office administrators to choose from. 

The administrators value good grades and a clean disciplinary record. They also consider any information they know outside of the student’s record when picking the semester’s aides.

Office administrators will also gossip with the office aides about different events going on around the school. Whether it be the newest couple or just random people around Lakeland, the office is talking about it.

Marti Fuhriman, an office administrator at LHS, clearly stated though, “What is said in the office, stays in the office.”

Brady Hanna, an office aide at LHS, said, “I really like to meet new people and learn new things. As an office aide, I will often get to do both. I learn real-life skills like how to work the phones.”