This pandemic has forced many of us to deal with situations which have become life or death due to the health risks brought by COVID-19. Professionals in the health field have been frontline warriors in supporting our sick and ill area residents. Many of those workers have encountered situations that they thought they would never be faced with. Other service areas have also been affected by this unprecedented event.
Our education field has also been confronted with unusual circumstances. Our public education employees have had to start providing instruction from their homes in virtual settings, offering meals to students who were met with basic challenges related to food, and housing needs. Employees in different departments have had to deal with other situations as well. To be able to provide wrap around services to our population, everyone from bus drivers, custodians, security guards and clerical staff has had to rise to the occasion and adjust to the needs of our students.
Marlene Jean Louis is originally from Haiti and she works at North Miami Adult Education Center as the Registrar. Ms. Louis has been instrumental in providing assistance to individuals interested in learning English, becoming United States citizens, achieving their GED® and completing skills they need to become employable in the United States.
Ms. Louis has been working around the clock since the pandemic started back in March 2020. Her job requirements demand that she can provide documents as proof of enrollment and certain records must be certified and notarized. Louis is never tired or defeated. Marlene has the strength and patience to deal with whatever situation is brought to her. She patiently explains to the persons that come across her what is needed and how they can achieve their targets. Furthermore, Ms. Louis’ clock has no hands! She is always working. Many of these adult students work and have erratic schedules. However, Louis is willing and able to meet them after hours. She sets up appointments that are convenient to the students. It does not matter if she must meet before her assigned working hours or after that. She is always ready to go that extra mile. She is forever willing and able to accommodate them to help them achieve their educational goals. The students love her “you can do it” attitude and often call her for assistance and support. However, Marlene does more than just her job description. Our adult education centers’ employees are few in numbers and assigned multiple chores, so Marlene is always willing and able to step in and help a co-worker or assist in other areas to make sure that our jobs get done and we can get students to where they need to go to reach their objectives.
Marlene Jean Louis is one of those unsung heroes that have helped many in our community to survive this pandemic and unprecedented times. We honor Ms. Louis for her dedication and unselfish giving of her time and knowledge to those that need it the most. Thank you, Marlene, for all you do for our learning community at North Miami Adult.
