EDUCATION SUPERHEROES

While classroom teachers and administrators fortify the frontlines of any educational system, they don’t do their jobs alone. Schools would not be able to operate without the tireless efforts of their support staff. In this year’s Education Superheroes feature, we recognize the contributions of these quiet but vital staff members. Indirectly and in a variety of ways,
these people also enrich a child’s education.

Brenda Cates

Cafeteria manager, Frasch Elementary

Brenda Cates began her career as a ‘lunch lady” when she subbed as a cafeteria tech at Frasch Elementary in 2004. A year later she was hired full time and in 2017 was promoted to cafeteria manager. Her responsibilities include planning breakfast and lunch for the students, ordering supplies, maintaining inventory, filling in on the line when they’re short-handed, and leading monthly staff meetings. “Everyone on my team knows they are a big part of my kitchen, and we all make decisions together,” Brenda says. “It’s teamwork!”  

Brenda says her role goes beyond merely feeding the children. “How you greet the children sets the tone for their day. I remind my ladies we are here to be positive and serve good meals to our little customers with a smile.”  

The Frasch kitchen is well-known for their homemade cinnamon rolls for breakfast and fresh hot homemade rolls at lunch, Brenda says. Students and staff alike love her gumbo, with Cajun pasta a close second. “And of course chicken nuggets and mac & cheese,” she adds. 

Brenda finds joy in seeing the children each day and getting to know them and their personalities. “It makes my job so rewarding when they tell us we’re good cooks and they love our food. They thank us every day for preparing their meals.”  

After working in Frasch’s cafeteria for over two decades, Brenda has gotten to know thousands of students. “Every time I’m in town and a child from school sees me, they wave and say, ‘Mom, that’s our lunch lady,’” she says. “I see high school students who still remember me, after all these years. I’m proud to have been “lunch lady” to so many students for over 20 years.” 

Tyrone Wilrye

Maintenance man, Our Lady Queen of Heaven

For the past 10 years, Tyrone Wilrye has maintained the everyday functions at Our Lady Queen of Heaven (OLQH), from fixing leaks to building furniture.

Surrounded by the students, he loves watching them learn and grow. In addition to maintaining the physical building, Tyrone says he strives to sustain a peaceful culture at the school, even when things are not going smoothly. “I create a positive environment that opens lines of communication with the students.”
Megan O’Quin, director of advancement at OLQH, refers to Tyrone as “the keeper of all things” and says he is always there to help when needed. “He is an integral part of our campus – known and loved by all faculty and each and every student. His roles on campus are wide-ranging and he is always there to help in times of need. Tyrone checks on our facilities in rain, winds, flood and ice. He comes to school after school hours and weekends to meet workers to repair plumbing, AC,
pest control and so on. If a ball goes over the fence or on the roof,
he is the one to get it. If you need to know where anything is stored, just ask Tyrone! When reminded of a task or asked to do anything, he simply responds, ‘I got it’ and you know it will get done. Tyrone has a servant’s heart and truly loves each member of our school community. We are grateful for his service to school.”
Tyrone loves his job and feels pride when students return to the school years later and seek him out. “I love to see them come back and share their successes with me.”

Sara Jolie

Librarian, Sam Houston High School

After college, Sara Jolie, a 1993 graduate of Sam Houston High School (SHHS), began her career teaching Pre-K at the West-Cal-Cam
Child Development Center.

In 2000, she returned to her high school alma mater as a Family and Consumer Science teacher. She earned her library certificate in 2012 and is now a library media specialist at SHHS. She says she became a librarian because the library is the heart of SHHS, it allows her to interact with all faculty and students, and she loves to read. “I enjoy assisting students in the search for their next great read! There’s nothing like skimming the stacks, running my fingers over the spines of thousands of books, and then pulling one I think a student will love.”
Beyond books, Sara serves as advisor of the PILOT Club and Peer Support Team, which she created in 2014 with colleague Ken Brown in response to the death by suicide of one of their students. The PILOT (Peer Initiative Leaders of Tomorrow) Club is a student-led teen advocacy group. Members experience a place where all students are welcomed and respected. Their goal is to spread kindness, encourage empathy, and learn about suicide awareness and prevention, bullying prevention, where and how to seek help, and how to support students’ mental wellbeing.
Sara has earned numerous awards during her career; most recently, Teacher of the Month at SHHS in Jan. 2024, and the 2023 PACERS National Bullying Prevention Center UNITY award. Through the library as well as her extracurricular projects, Sara has created a supportive and inclusive environment for students. “Education is more than academics,” she says. “It’s learning to become a better citizen, discovering new skills, forming relationships, and giving back to your community.”

Karen Raduenz

Bus Driver, Calcasieu Parish School Board

Karen Raduenz has been a school bus driver for Calcasieu Parish School Board (CPSB) for 25 years.

Her career behind the wheel began when a friend of hers told Karen she was going to a class to learn how to drive a school bus and suggested she come with her. School bus drivers have holidays and summers off, and the hours are great. So Karen signed up, took the classes, passed all the tests and then shadowed another bus driver for 15 days. “The first time I had to drive that big bus by myself, I was so nervous,” Karen says.
Over two decades later, and Karen is a seasoned pro. But the job nonetheless has its challenges. “You definitely need to be able to multi-task while driving a bus, with all the chatter, the bus radio, watching the traffic and making sure everyone is sitting down and safe,” she says. “In my driving career, I never had too many problems with the children. If I did, I would talk to the child about it, and if that didn’t resolve the issue, I would take it up with the administrator.”
Karen drove a general bus for many years, and currently she drives the special education bus. “I love my students. They make me look at life with a different perspective.”
Karen has an aide on the bus with her and says she couldn’t do her job without the help. “We work together as a team, setting the tone on our bus to be a positive environment. We promote respect, kindness, caring, and being a friend. We don’t allow the students to talk negatively to each other. We have an open-door policy that allows students to talk about their feelings. If they have any issues, they feel comfortable sharing them with us. If it’s something we can’t deal with, we encourage them to speak with their parents or the staff.”
“I love my job,” Karen adds. “When I decide it’s time to turn in my keys, I want to carry on a legacy of being kind, caring and loving.”