Marie Demkovitch

Becky Jenkins and Artina Clark-Lloyd end their day in the Ladue High School front office. Jenkins has been working there for 16 years, and Clark-Lloyd for three years. “[I wanted to work here for] a different environment,” Clark-Lloyd said.

The office buzzes in anticipation as students flood into the school. It’s 7:30 a.m. and receptionist Artina Clark-Lloyd and attendance secretary Becky Jenkins prepare to help students with their needs throughout the day. 

On a typical day, both Clark-Lloyd and Jenkins have a specific routine to focus on their work. Staying on top of various communications in the district is a significant part of their jobs.

“I start early in the morning  [answering] emails and voicemails,” Jenkins said. “Then at the end of the day I wrap up doing voicemails and making sure I have all the attendance in [the system] and that everything is to the best of my own knowledge.” 

For Clark-Lloyd, assisting everybody who enters the school throughout the day is a top priority. Her job requires her to see many students, parents and faculty from out of the district.

“Mainly, [my job is] dealing with the students and making sure I serve the students, [making sure that] the parents that come in get where they need to go and making sure that everyone that comes in is directed to [where] they need to go,” Clark-Lloyd said. 

When it comes to keeping track of student attendance, it is vital for Jenkins to maintain focus during busy parts of the day. A balance of multitasking is a key component of doing the job.

“[The most difficult part is] sitting at the front and trying to make sure that the attendance is accurate while answering the door and doing other things,” Jenkins said. “It gets kind of hard trying to focus on attendance [when] you have a lot of other things.”

At the front desk, Jenkins and Clark-Lloyd are responsible for directing and talking to parents. In reality, handling different personalities and attitudes can become a difficult task.

“I don’t think [people] really understand the depth that we have to deal with parents,” Clark-Lloyd said. “Some parents will come in full throttle at you, but sometimes they will come in really good.”

However, even when difficult, working with people has been Jenkins’ favorite part of the job. Helping and seeing students every  day is fulfilling.

“Being able to come in every day and interact with students, parents, [and] teachers on a daily basis is rewarding,” Jenkins said.

Making someone’s day better is something that Clark-Lloyd also prides herself in at her job. She receives much joy from seeing that she has helped someone get the the information they needed.

“[The most rewarding part] is just the joy and the smile on the person’s face when you are able to assist them and help them with some of the things they need,” Clark-Lloyd said. “For me, it is rewarding knowing that they leave with a smile on their face.”