Meet Kolter Elementary’s nurse for the last 25 years

Delores Garcia, who has been the Kolter Elementary School nurse for the last quarter of a century, says she knew that she was cut out for a life of service when she was just 15.

“I was either going to be a social worker or a nurse,” she said, “and I went to my counselor and said, ‘Whatever courses I need to take so I can go to college, that’s what I want to do.’ I knew that I wanted to help people, so if I could be a nurse and help people when they were sick, then that’s what I wanted to do. It’s important to let students know that there’s someone there who cares about them while they’re away from their parents.”

Garcia has been a registered nurse since 1970, but she first joined Team HISD in 1988, and has served at Kolter ever since.

“I love my campus and I love the people I work with,” said the Houston native, who is a proud graduate of Worthing HS herself. “The children and the faculty are just like a little family. You know their children and grandchildren and you see the same families who have lived in the same neighborhoods for a number of years. It’s been quite an experience.”

Garcia officially marked her 25th anniversary with the district on Nov. 7, but several other employees are also marking theirs this week (Nov. 3–Nov. 9). See if you know anyone on this list:

25 years

• Mary Weston, teacher specialist, Pin Oak MS   
• Willie Ross, teacher, Milby HS     
• Phillip Thompson, teacher, R. P. Harris ES       
• Diane Arnold, teacher, Seguin ES          
• Police Richard Morris, sergeant, Police Department   
• Delores Garcia, nurse, Kolter ES 
• Routing David Torres, routing technician, Transportation Services  

20 years

• Patricia Mason, attendant, Food Services          
• Concepcion Hernandez, clerk, Clifton MS        
• Edward Downey, teacher, Hartman MS 
• Gregory McKenzie, mechanic, Transportation Services

15 years

• Sheila Lindsey, attendant, Food Services         
• Ava Bains, clerk, Transportation Services
• Toni Cervantes, clerk, Reagan HS          
• Vickie Park, plant operator, Construction & Facility Services 
• Samuel Braziel, student information representative, Gregg ES        
• Mark Miertschin, plumber, Construction & Facility Services  

10 years

• Eloise Tone, crossing guard, Parker ES 
• Portia Robinson, crossing guard, Browning ES           
• Maria Hernandez, custodian, Construction & Facility Services         
• Travis Stanford, Construction Services senior manager, bond fund program        
• Njideka Oragunye, associate teacher     
• Jane Osueke, associate teacher  
• Dinora Asencio, custodian, Construction & Facility Services

5 years

• Marcella Grant, attendant, Food Services          
• Maria Verde, attendant, Food Services   
• Dianne May, teacher, HCC Life Skills    
• Niria Quiroz, associate teacher    
• Roxanna Guadian, bus driver, Transportation Services         
• Antonio Lopez Hernandez, bus driver, Transportation Services       
• Juan Segura, bus driver, Transportation Services       
• Victoria Salazar, clerk, K. Smith ES        
• Gricelda Villarreal, clerk, Key MS 
• Valentina Sherwood, associate teacher 
• Katherine Stockwell, teacher, Travis ES
• Catalina Mejia, teacher, King ECC         
• Zerline Black, associate teacher  
• Roderick McCormick, bus driver, Transportation Services      
• Betty Ukera-Kajoh, teacher, Briarmeadow Charter      
• Ana Bible, teaching assistant, Benavidez ES   
• Syed Haider, associate teacher   
• Wanda Joseph, bus driver, Transportation Services    
• Maribel Gomez De Santos, custodian, Construction & Facility Services     
• Karla Mattox, custodian, Construction & Facility Services      
• Maria Tovar, teaching assistant, Halpin ECC    
• Qiesha Deckard, receptionist, Strategic Partnerships  
• Robert Gutierrez, electrician, Construction & Facility Services
• Michelle Figueroa, teacher, Harvard ES
• Sally Wickers, teacher, Braeburn ES      
• Keleigh Brooks-Muska, teacher, Roosevelt ES

Check back next Friday for more November Milestones. Leave a comment below if you’d like to congratulate any of the above employees.