Shady wears many hats as middle school secretary

     Panther Professionals is a weekly series highlighting educators, administrators, staff and aides who are dedicated to the future of the Monticello Community School District.

     Despite having started her career in education five years ago, Angela “Angie” Shady can’t believe she never pursued the idea until now.

     Shady started working for the Monticello Community School District mid-year during the 2013-24 school year.

     “I never saw myself working in education,” she admitted.

     For her first two years, Shady served as a one-on-one associate for a fifth-grade student, and followed that student all the way through seventh grade. When Shady’s assistance wasn’t needed in that particular role, she heard about the middle school office secretary position that needed to be filled. Long-time Secretary Sue Paulsen was retiring, and the job needed to be filled.

     For the past three years, Shady has been serving Middle School Principal Brent Meier and the office personnel in many ways: answering the never-ending string of phone calls, helping students with their class schedules, monitoring attendance, conducting the daily announcements, writing what Shady termed as “a lot” of student passes, delivering the daily mail, handling new-student enrollment and the transfers of former students, and assisting the part-time middle school nurse.

     During the morning of Aug. 30, there was a constant stream of students in grades 5-8 pouring into the office requiring Shady’s attention. Some students needed first aid assistance due to an injury, one student had to take his/her morning medication, some students needed to call Mom/Dad because they forgot something at home, some students needed passes to their next class… However, Shady said she’s learned the act of multi-tasking.

     “This job was a huge change,” she said of transitioning from one-on-one associate to office secretary. “Multi-tasking was the biggest hurdle, and it took a while to get used to it all.” Shady joked that when she does have down time in her workday, it’s almost as if she doesn’t know what to do with herself.

     Before working for the MCSD, Shady worked in marketing at Transamerica in Cedar Rapids for 17 years.

     “I just got tired of the drive to and from Cedar Rapids every day,” she said. “It was 115 miles round trip.”

     Shady said she just wanted to find something that was closer to home, and could not have landed the ideal job.

     “I am on the same schedule as my kids, which is awesome,” she said of having weekends, holidays and summers off. “I have regretted this decision.”

     Each day in Shady’s work life is never the same, which she enjoys.

     “It’s always something different,” she said. “There are so many different personalities and needs here.”

     As for what she likes about the job, Shady simply replied, “Everything! There are no downsides.

     “I can’t believe I went this long before I thought about working with kids,” she added.

     Shady said it’s a joy to get up every morning and come to work.

     “Not everyone can say that,” she said.

     Looking back on her years in school (Shady attended Springville High School.), she said there were a select few adults who made a real difference in her young life. Shady hopes she can be one of those bright spots for the Monticello Middle School students here.

     She said working in the middle school, she sees the close-knit staff and ties everyone has formed.

     “The staff genuinely cares about the students’ education, personal growth and well-being,” she said. “As a whole, the district is the same.”

     Shady and her husband, Jeff, have four kids: two girls and two boys in grades 12^th, fourth and third. Their oldest son is 22 years old.

     In her free time, the family goes camping, fishing and loves spending time together outdoors. They also run a hobby farm and raise stock cows. Shady herself enjoys cooking and gardening.