This week The Columbian-Progress spotlights West Marion High School secretary Jennifer Baughman.
Q: When and where were you born?
A: I was born in Knoxville, Tenn. on April 15, 1989.
Q: Where did you attend school?
A: West Marion High School.
Q: Where do you work? Tell us about your job/company.
A: I am a secretary at the school. I answer the phone. I’m the Covid point of contact so if anyone has the virus, I have to make all the contacts. If anyone is sick, I have to call the parents. I work with the students. I’m a jack of all trades.
Q: What led you to your profession?
A: I started volunteering at the primary school six or seven years ago. I was the treasurer of the PTO there and then became the president. When I became the president, I helped Lisa Williamson when she was in the office. I was so used to it that when Williamson took days off, I could just fill in without the district having to pay someone. After taking a break from the PTO to work with the youth at my church three years ago, I began subbing for teachers until this job became available.
Q: What do you enjoy most about your job?
A: The kids!
Q: What is the most challenging aspect of your job?
A: Parents. When they have issues with administrators, they take their frustration out on me when I am just the messenger. But truly it would be when I see a student with a discipline problem repeatedly come back. I want to see the students excel.
Q: What is the most important lesson you have learned in your career?
A: Be patient and have empathy. Be understanding and listen. Sometimes students come in here and they have a mental moment and they just need to sit. Sometimes they need to talk about something to take their minds off of things.
Q: When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A: A cardiothoracic nurse. I said I was going to go to nursing school, but it was intimidating to think about it and nursing school is really hard.
Q: What was your first job?
A: I was a cashier at The Deck.
Q: Who is the person who has been most influential in your life?
A: My mother. She was not great in a lot of ways, but even in those ways, she taught me how to be the opposite. Even when she wasn’t the best, she was compassionate and cared about people.
Q: What is your spouse’s name?
A: Kenny. We have been married 16 years after starting out as high school sweethearts.
Q: Do you have children?
A: Yes, three: Conner, 13, Kaitlynn, 11, and Collin, 10.
Q: If you could have anything for your last meal on earth, what would it be?
A: Pecan-caramel chicken with mashed potatoes and asparagus from Patio 44.
Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
A: Europe, especially Rome in Italy.
Q: What hobbies do you like to do in your spare time?
A: I like to read and listen to a lot of podcasts such as “True Crime.”
Q: What do you enjoy about Columbia and Marion County?
A: I like the smallness of the area and closeness of everyone.
Q: If you could have lunch with anyone from your life or history, who would it be and why?
A: Alexander Hamilton. I am obsessed with his story, and I love the play. I did not realize he was as scandalous as he was.
Q: If you didn’t have to worry about money, what would you do all day?
A: I would have to do something, like charity work. I had an older couple on the Coast tell Kenny and I that being rich was no fun because you had nothing to look forward to because you could do whatever you wanted. When you are not rich, you get to anticipate things. That has stuck with me.
Q: What moment in your life has had the biggest impact on who you are today?
A: When my mother died. When she died is when I found God. He already had found me. I was saved two or three years later.
Q: What is one thing you want to do that you’ve never tried?
A: Fly a plane. The movie, “Flight,” with Denzel Washington makes me want to fly a plane, yet I hate to fly though. I’ll get on Tik Tok and watch females fly.
Q: Using one word for each, what are your top three morals?
A: Honesty, compassion and courage.
Q: How would you like to be remembered?
A: For my compassion and understanding. Even if it was a small moment, that the person remembers that I was kind.
-By Susan Amundson
