Editorial Note: “Behind the Scenes” is a new Register Forum feature meant to spotlight members of the CRLS staff who students might not interact with directly. This is our first “Behind the Scenes” article.

“It’s not just typing, it’s not just administrative work—I’ve always done that kind of work,” began main office clerk Yemisi Oluwole ‘85. “You’re talking to people, you’re counseling people, you’re running around trying to make things happen, you’re using technology in a way that you’ve never used it anywhere else, you’re talking to all kinds of people from all over the world representing all cultures and religions and everything,” she explained.

Fellow main office clerk Sandy Stone chimed in, “You’re trying to help everybody as much as you can.”

This is Oluwole’s fourth year working at CRLS and Stone’s third. Both retired from other careers before coming to work in the main office, and both were brought here by family—Oluwole by her sister who works at the Fletcher Maynard Academy and Stone by her husband who works at CRLS.

According to Oluwole and Stone, the job description for the main office clerk is pretty short, but they end up doing a little bit of everything—from answering all the calls that come into the main office and handing out MBTA passes to managing Mr. Smith and Mr. Tynes’s schedules and planning the graduation ceremony.

Stone added, “If a student comes in with a problem, if we can’t help the student, we’re going to find the appropriate person to help the student.”

Of challenges, Oluwole noted the “constant interruption,” continuing, “The ability to focus and that level of professionalism to get the work done regardless [is important], because that’s the nature of the job.”

Senior Leonardo Escobar, one of the morning announcers, observed that Oluwole and Stone are “always very on top of everything” and noted that they constantly look at “how to improve the system.” Escobar concluded that because there is so little time for morning announcements, the organization that the main office clerks bring is crucial.

Oluwole and Stone also noted that being discreet is essential to their role, because they deal with a lot of information. As Oluwole explained, “We want to make sure that that reputation [of confidentiality] is solid, that what comes into this room does not get discussed.”

Family Liaison Greta Hardina said that she could not run the CRLS food pantry without support from Oluwole and Stone.

She added, “I believe that they’ve changed the school climate since they’ve been the frontline staff in the main office. They welcome all students, families, and staff with a smile and are extremely professional, which sets the tone of the school.”

Although Oluwole and Stone can find themselves on the receiving end of unpleasant behavior, they always strive to be professional and friendly. Vice-Principal Tynes described Oluwole and Stone as “dependable,” “professional,” and “very skilled.” He commented, “They’re a great team. … They’re always willing to do whatever it takes to make things run smoothly,” adding that they take responsibility for being the face of the school when they answer calls and interact with visitors. “They never complain,” Tynes concluded.

Oluwole noted, “We may not be the principal, we may not be an educator, but we need to understand what is going on and how things work, and that’s what makes us a really good resource—because we’re supposed to know a lot of things, a lot of different things.”

Stone added that they put effort into following up with people: “It’s not just here, we work 24/7, and I’ve built a lot of relationships with the kids.”

Both Oluwole and Stone spoke of the relationships that they’ve developed with students and other staff as one of their favorite parts of the job.

“When you leave here, you feel like you did something today, not like when I was in banking,” said Stone. “I didn’t feel like I was helping anybody. In the short time that I’ve been here, I think that I’ve really impacted a lot of students.”

This piece also appears in our December print edition.