Globe: Who are you?

Brooke Clark, front desk receptionist: I am Brooke Clark, the front desk receptionist here at Clayton High School.

Globe: Where did you go to high school?

Clark: For the majority of my time in high school, I went to Blanket High School, which is in a small town. However, when I started high school, I lived in a huge city known as Albilene, where I attended Cooper High School, all of in Texas. 

Globe: What did you do after high school? 

Clark: I got a bachelor’s degree in Art Education from Howard Payne University and then worked as an art teacher for nine years. However, around that time, I felt like I needed to get out of Texas. I always wanted to move to New York, I wanted to be around its art and theater scene. With all this on my mind, I decided to move to New York City.

Globe: What did you do in New York City?

Clark: When I was in New York City, I played roller derby, I made art, and I nannied. Nannying was my job while I was there. The boy I nannied was a newborn boy and he had a sister born before I left for St. Louis. The city was just really busy and fast-paced. I wish I could go back just to visit.

Globe: If you loved New York City so much, then why did you choose to move to St. Louis?

Clark: I just decided to move to St Louis because it is such a creative city that feels like a big city but also a small town at the [same] time. By that I mean there is a lot going on in St. Louis, but at the same time not too overwhelming like New York City. Also, I already knew people here and about the city from coaching roller derby, which I knew I wanted to move here in particular.

Globe: Why did you decide to become a receptionist?

Clark: I was looking for something that allowed me to still be in education and be around educators, but not be an educator myself. However, I also wanted time to pursue my passion for art. As a school receptionist, I have all this. I only work school hours, so I have more time to work on my art. I just don’t really feel like being a teacher again, but still want to be in education.