Few people are fortunate enough to discover their true passion in life—fewer still get to turn that passion into a lifelong career. Yet for the Secretary of the health suite, loving her job was never an issue. For close to three decades, she has been able to call North Penn School District her home. However, in a matter of weeks, Mrs. Donna Marino will be retiring and entering a brand new chapter of her wonderful life.

Taking care of countless sick high school students everyday sounds like hard work as it is. Yet, greeting students in the nurse’s waiting room is not all she does. In fact, Marino’s job includes much more responsibility.

“I’m the Secretary here in the house suite. So when the students come in, I sign them in, pull their treatment cards, and ring for the nurse to come and get them. I do a lot of record keeping, making sure there’s a Physical turned-in for all the junior students. I basically run that desk,” Marino said.

As someone who has worked in a nurse’s office for twenty-eight years, Marino has seen and experienced many things from ambulance visits to scratches in need of Band-Aids. However, none of them are more impactful to her than watching students blossom into adults.

“I’ve seen a lot of kids graduate. It’s emotional, but it’s also fun watching the tenth graders grow up and become seniors. Being there for that is really special, and I’m going to miss it,” Marino stated.

Now that it’s her time to leave North Penn, Marino would not have changed anything. Her past, however unexpected, has led to her obtaining this job; a career that she has always dreamed of.

“When I was younger, I wanted to be either a teacher or a nurse, but I never went to college. I feel like when I was growing up, our parents didn’t push us for that. It was more like we were going into the workforce. So it’s really interesting to me now that I work in a school and the nurse’s office,” Marino said.

All of the fruitfulness of her career in this district began by chance. It wasn’t until 1997 that she came to work at one of the district’s middle schools, Penndale.

“My daughter was in ninth grade at the time. Back then, the schools used to ask for volunteers. So I volunteered at Penndale because they didn’t have a secretary at the nurse’s office. I applied for it and got the job,” Marino stated.

North Penn is so lucky to have hired Marino all those years ago for the effort and love she brings to the building every single day. No matter how her professional life started, one thing has always been a constant for her and that is her love for the students.

“It’s so bittersweet, leaving here. Very bittersweet. I think the thing I’ll miss the most are the kids, supporting them and just watching them grow—mature. It’s so rewarding and like I said, so emotional watching it,” Marino said.

Her passion for taking care of the students goes far beyond physical wellness. She cares about how a student feels; their emotions and mental health.

“Sometimes students would come in and be having a really hard day, and I would just see it and right away, grab them, because I don’t want them being upset in that waiting room alone. So I try to grab them and move them back here before I get them a nurse. This job has just helped me to be intune to their emotions. I’ve even had students come back and draw me pictures, and it’s just so special,” Marino stated.

This obvious kindness is appreciated by everyone at North Penn. Mrs. Donna Marino might say that the students have left a sizable mark on her heart, but it goes both ways. Even to the students who have only interacted with her a few times, Marino’s attentiveness is memorable.

“I talked to her every time I went to the nurse, but I didn’t really have that many interactions with her. She was always super nice to me anytime I came in, though. One time, I came in to see if they had any chapstick of sorts, and she went and found some Vaseline and put it on a tissue for me,” North Penn senior Kathryn Romanoski said.

Students aren’t the only people Marino is going to have a hard time saying goodbye to. Since 2012 and the beginning of her stay at the high school, she has made strong friendships with the other nurses in the health suite. Relationships that are rooted in trust and familiarity.

“It’s going to be really hard to leave these nurses…We have the best team of nurses. We work well together and get along. So it’s going to be hard to leave them,” Marino said.

Marino’s retirement isn’t a new topic around the nurses. In fact, she had originally planned on her retirement being much earlier, but they convinced her to stay longer.

“I was going to leave last year, but then they were like, “Stay another year”, so I did. And then I heard that again this year, but I said, “No, I’m going to go this time,” Marino stated.

Now that she is officially leaving, whoever will be named Secretary will hopefully have just as fulfilling a time in that position as Marino has these past years. She trusts that the school will select a wonderful person to fill her shoes despite how hectic day-to-day life can be.

“Whoever becomes secretary after me, I would tell them to just remain calm, be patient, and do your best. We have until June to get everything done, like all the paperwork, but the main concern is to take care of the students. They’re our number one priority during the day,” Marino said.

While her departure is a bittersweet ordeal, Marino has much planned for her next chapter. With so much free time, she knows exactly how she wants to spend it: helping others.

“I’m going to be really busy. My brother is in charge of Diamond Baseball Academy, and he already asked me if I could help him do things. My son is a realtor, and he already asked me to help him. And then I have five grandchildren I’m going to watch a couple of days a week. So, I’m looking forward to that,” Marino stated.

In addition to her assistance, Marino also plans an even more exciting family vacation: Italy. Despite this, she feels the most content spending her time however she chooses.

“But mostly, I’m looking forward to having freedom. I feel like my life is getting so busy, especially having to fit in working. It’s getting difficult. But I’ll have time to do things I enjoy like redecorating. I’m gonna repaint every room in my house,” Marino said.

This article is almost 1,200 words, and yet I could never sum up the amount of love, passion, and care Donna Marino has given North Penn these last twenty-eight years. She has found fulfillment doing exactly what she dreamt of as a little girl, and now she can continue to dream new dreams.