April 24, 2024 – Administrative Assistant Elaine Sapp from the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Communications and External Relations Department is retiring at the end of this school year after 30 years of service, and in honor of April 24 as Administrative Professionals Day, she shared some of her insights from the past three decades into what makes administrative professionals such vital members of the WS/FCS team.
Even before joining WS/FCS, Sapp already had a career in customer service with Aladdin. The field has always resonated with her because she enjoys positions that allow her to think critically and solve problems. Administrative professionals are the first line of defense when something goes wrong for a customer or client, and when they do their jobs well, they can often be the only lifeline people need.
“I like to problem-solve and help somebody figure something out,” Sapp said. “My favorite calls are when somebody is ticked off when they reach me, and they’re not anymore by the time they hang up.”
Of course, it’s a different beast working for a school district than it is in the private sector. In WS/FCS, the stakeholders who administrative professionals have to problem-solve for are parents concerned for their children’s wellbeing, arguably the most critical issue someone could ever have to worry about. Like any good educational worker, Sapp has a heart for children, and she does her best to be patient in the most stressful situations because she understands that no matter how upset people may get on the phone, their concern is rooted in their love for their children.
“I think a lot of people don’t realize how personal it can get,” Sapp said. “When you’re talking to someone about their pride and joy, which is what all of our kids are, how can it not get personal?”
Every employee in WS/FCS has an extra responsibility in addition to their job description, and that’s to prioritize student wellbeing whenever they can. Sapp has taken that responsibility seriously, especially when she was working in the front office at East Forsyth Middle School. She was an extra adult that students could have a productive rapport with, and she was popular with kids who frequently found themselves in the office because she always made an effort to understand where they were coming from.
Despite their best efforts, though, administrative professionals have limited abilities. Perhaps the hardest thing about their jobs is that they’re often confronted with issues that aren’t within the scope of their position. Some requests can’t even be delegated to higher offices because of conflicts with district policy, and in a district as big as WS/FCS, it’s difficult to make sure there’s an agreed upon right answer for every specific situation that might arise. Some callers are more understanding than others, but no matter what, it’s frustrating to run up against one’s own limitations.
“Sometimes, parents call us really upset, and we can completely understand why they’re upset, but we still have a limited capacity,” Sapp said. “There are a million things that we wish we could do for you that we just can’t.”
On this Administrative Professionals Day, one of the best gifts you can give the person on the other end of the line is patience. WS/FCS is fortunate to have a large and dedicated team of administrative professionals who want nothing but the best for the district’s students. If there’s a solution to your problem to be found, they’ll do their absolute best to find it.
“There aren’t many jobs that come with the absolute certainty that, when you do it well, you’re helping someone,” Sapp said. “But this is one of them.”