By Amy Hill
Holding a photo of her son, secretary Ashley Witherspoon poses at her desk in the front office. She is looking forward to football season and getting involved with other sports.
New secretary begins work in the same district as her son
Ashley Witherspoon enjoys working with people in the community and getting to know the staff and students
Mill Valley News: What college did you attend?
Secretary Ashley Witherspoon: I went to JUCO for two years.
MVN: What did you do before you came to the school?
AW: So before I was here I worked at St Luke’s in the GI unit. It was definitely crazy, and it was during COVID, which was even more crazy. Before that, I worked part-time when my son was in school, but I stayed home for most of his life.
MVN: Why did you choose to work at the school?
AW: I wanted to work since my son is in school full time, but I wanted something flexible to be able to be off when he is off or when school is closed, so this was the best fit. Plus, I live right down the street. My son goes to Riverview, so I love the fact that he’s in the same district.
MVN: What were your first impressions of the school?
AW: I have friends who came here a long time ago, so I’ve always known that it’s a great school [and a] great community. We moved here seven years ago from DeSoto, so I’ve always just loved it over here and I just knew that it was going to be a good school, and it’s where my son’s going to go. I just love the community.
MVN: What school events are you looking forward to attending?
AW: I’m definitely looking forward to football season. My son plays football with the Junior Jags, so that’s a big part of what we do. I think being able to see the football games now with the high school and being able to do events with that is great. Now that I work here, it’s fun to be able to be involved in any of the sports.
MVN: What’s your favorite thing about the school so far?
AW: The people. It’s very easy to talk to people here. The students have been great. Coming in, I didn’t know anybody, and it was very overwhelming. You have 1300 kids here, you have a huge staff, but everyone’s been very welcoming, down-to-earth and easy to get to know.
MVN: What else would you like people to know about you?
AW: I am a super down-to-earth person. Sometimes it’s hard for me to come out of my shell to meet new people, so I hope people don’t think just because I’m quiet sometimes or shy that I don’t want to get to know people because I do. There’s a lot of people here, so [I’m] taking it all in every single day. I’ve been here since April, so it’s getting easier with remembering students’ names and staff. I’m always willing to meet new people.