For most of us, the day doesn’t start without a cup of coffee. At Olmos Elementary School, that means the day doesn’t begin without Lois Garcia. Step one of her morning routine as an Instructional Assistant is firing up the coffee pot in the lounge.
“I used to make it every morning, but I had to stop for a little while last year,” said Garcia. “I had a teacher tell me that she really missed drinking my coffee. So, I went and bought a bigger coffee pot and by the end of the day, it’s all gone!”
Garcia didn’t think twice about buying a new coffee pot for everyone on campus to enjoy. She’s been spreading joy one cup of coffee at a time for the last 26 years.
“If it helps get them through the day and makes things a little better for them, I’m going to do it. I didn’t think it was that big of a deal, but it’s something small that makes a difference. It makes them happy and that makes me happy.”
Garcia does it all. As an Instructional Assistant, she works with students in every subject across every grade level. She fixes copiers. She’s a crossing guard during morning pick-up and dropoff.
And yes, she fixes a mean cup of coffee. Garcia does it because she loves it, and it matters more than she knows.
“I love just getting up and coming to school every day. I love my job so much. I’d come here and do this even if I wasn’t getting paid.”
