A woman with an upbeat attitude came in to start a new life at CHS on July 1. Principal Louise Losos’ new administrative assistant Debbie Garozzo-Hughes has brought her experience and her friendliness to the staff.
Before coming to CHS, she worked for Edward Jones in the financial industry. A friend of Garozzo-Hughes then encouraged her to work at a school, so she decided to try out the job.
For eight years, she worked at Parkway West High School as the print room secretary and then an assistant principal secretary.
When she first came here, it took some adjusting to get used to CHS.
“It was quite an adjustment to go from that big world out there to the small enclave that Clayton is,” Garozzo-Hughes said. “There’s at least a one year learning curve. You have to do everything at least once.”
However, Losos believes Garozzo-Hughes is doing well regarding her adjustment to the job.
“I’m sure she sees the bumps that I’m not seeing, but she’s doing remarkably well,” Losos said.
As an administrative assistant, Garozzo-Hughes must have many skills. Her main job is to support Losos by handling the organizational tasks, such as managing her schedules and putting her newsletter together.
“She has to be able to multitask because she has a lot of different things going on,” Losos said.
Garozzo-Hughes does indeed have many tasks to handle. She also interacts with teachers, students, parents, and members of the community who wish to speak to Losos.
“It’s kind of like being a gatekeeper for Dr. Losos,” Garozzo-Hughes said. “I have to keep things running smoothly.”
Not only does Garozzo-Hughes need the skills of multitasking, but she also needs the qualities of an administrative assistant.
“I was looking for someone who had a positive attitude, a calm demeanor, someone who can problem solve, someone with good writing skills, and someone who was very organized and could help me be more organized,” Losos said.
An important part of being an administrative assistant is to enjoy working at schools.
“She loves working with both teachers and kids,” Losos said. “You can feel that, and it’s important.”
Garozzo-Hughes says her favorite part of her job is the kids of CHS.
“They keep us young,” Garozzo-Hughes said. “I’m looking forward to get to know the kids. That’s always fun.”
Garozzo-Hughes also enjoys being at Clayton because she is able to work with Losos.
“I have a great amount of respect for Dr. Losos,” Garozzo-Hughes said. “I’ve always wanted to work for her, and I am now thrilled to be doing so at Clayton.”
Garozzo-Hughes does have some dislikes with discipline issues.
“Discipline in a school is always difficult,” Garozzo-Hughes said. “If there is anything I dislike, it’s discipline issues. They’re always disappointing.”
Outside of school, she has many hobbies that she enjoys.
“I like to travel,” Garozzo-Hughes said. “I have a vacation coming up on Thanksgiving that I’m looking forward to. We’re going on a cruise, down on the Caribbean. Also, I like to run. It’s a good way to escape.”
Garozzo-Hughes also likes to read books.
“I don’t have any favorites per say,” Garozzo-Hughes said. “Usually, I read mysteries. I’m thinking about jumping on the ‘Hunger Games’ wagon.”
Garozzo-Hughes was raised in St. Louis with three siblings.
Garozzo-Hughes is a woman with great personality, and many administrators enjoy being with her.
“She’s great,” Losos said. “She has a very upbeat attitude, she laughs a lot, she’s funny, and she’s very likeable.”
Front desk receptionist Mary Fran Jurkovich also believes that Garozzo-Hughes is a wonderful addition to the staff.
“Debbie’s very outgoing and friendly,” Jurkovich said.