Popular Office Assistant Accepts Promotion

Long-time Attendance and Health assistant Cathleen Cooper was promoted to a position at the Acalanes Center for Independent Study at the Del Valle.  Cooper began her new job on November 28.

According to Cooper, the position at the Del Valle campus opened up due to a retirement.  Cooper sees the new job as a step up from her responsibilities at Campolindo.  In Cooper’s words, she is “always looking to advance.”

Administrative Assistant Carolyn Daughton said she encouraged Cooper to apply for the job: “I know how qualified she is and many people encouraged her for this, even though it was kind of bittersweet with her leaving.”

Cooper has worked at Campolindo for 6 years, and has been in the Acalanes district for 9. “I’ve loved my 6 years here. The best part of my job is the kids. I’m going to miss you kids terribly. But there are kids up there as well and I’m excited for a new chapter but definitely, I’m going to miss the Campo kids,” she said.

“She is like a 2nd mother to so many of the kids that come in here,” said Daughton.

Senior Lily Skinner was Cooper’s student assistant for part of this year. “I teared up a little bit… and I’ve only really gotten to know her this year because of office TA, but I was very devastated. She seemed very happy but we will all miss her,” she said.

“1 of the things that made me laugh the most before she left is on the day she was leaving, she was like, ‘We got to take a selfie before we leave’ so we took a selfie and everything. Super cute,” said Skinner.

According to Attendance Technician Jaylene Watson, the time of year when she’ll miss Cooper the most is “the holidays, because we keep it really light in here, especially because it’s busy since all the kids get stressed out. So we try to keep it light, no matter how stressed you guys are, so I’m going to miss that this year.”

Cooper says she will still keep in touch with students and faculty. “I have the same email, same phone system, just a different extension and I will not miss the graduation. I’m going to come to all the graduations because I love to see the kids and I will always be a Campo sports fan because both of my kids went here, so I’m Campo through and through even though I’m leaving,” she said.

Astrida Lalor, new to Campolindo, took over Cooper’s position in the attendance office on December 10. “Everyone’s really friendly. It’s great getting to know everybody and there’s lot to learn but I’m trying to learn it all but I’m in a good place for learning,” said Laler.

Before taking the open position at Campolindo, Lalor worked for a public charter airline called JetSuideX. “I was their manager of all the airports, and so I did a lot of traveling, managing airplanes and people and moving people in airplanes,” she said.