Alice Christopherson, Registrar & PEIMS Specialist. Photo Courtesy of Julie Weltens.

Q: How long have you been at Cedar Park High School?

A: Since the school opened in 1998.

Q: Have you had any other jobs beside this role?

A: Yes, when I first started at Cedar Park, I was the receptionist and then I was a year at the front desk and then I had a part-time AP office, part-time attendance and then the following year, I ended up becoming the full-time attendance clerk and I did that for 19 years. 

Q: What’s your favorite part about Cedar Park High School? 

A: Well, everything really, the culture that we’ve built, the all the people that have met, we don’t really have a lot of people that leave, so we’ve kind of worked with the same people for many, many years. I just like the atmosphere here and the culture we’ve built. 

Q: What did you major in and where did you go? 

A: I went to the University of Houston, but I didn’t really finish. So I didn’t really major in anything at the time and I do regret that I didn’t finish. 

Q: Why?

A: I probably could have, you know, already been retired by now. I feel like if I would have had a college degree, I would have done whatever I was gonna do, and then I would have already retired. That is a big regret of mine. 

Q: What made you interested in working as a student support staff member? 

A: Well, I had volunteered when my children were younger and I had volunteered at Fabian elementary because that’s where they went, and then as they moved on to middle school, I volunteered. When the school opened, I thought that I might as well start working at the school district since I’m there all the time and I can get paid for it, rather than volunteering. I really did love volunteering because I met a lot of people and I have met a lot of friends that I’m still friends with to this day.

Q: Could you describe your role to me? 

A: So what I do now is I’m what they call a PEIMS registrar. So we enroll students, we have to send out records, we do grades, anything that’s asked of us. I mean, I’m here in the morning in the counseling office and I help Ms. Burkett, and then in the afternoons, I go to the attendant’s office. I’m still doing that too, and I help Ms. Crystal in the attendance office in the afternoons. 

Q: Is it stressful? 

A: It can be because if we have, for instance, grades, we’re just done and that’s a big process, especially at the end of the semester. It took us a little longer than we anticipated and so one of the days I couldn’t even go to the attendance office in the afternoon because we were so busy over here and then I have reports and stuff that I have to do over there on the other side that I have deadlines. It can get kind of stressful doing the two together.

Q: Could you tell me about one of your favorite encounters you’ve had here? 

A: Oh my God, there’s been so many, probably during Christmas we get to do a bunch of different things like we dress according to whatever they tell us, like we can dress like our favorite character, it’s just a lot of fun, just all the different aspects of when they they do different themes. So I like that, and then sometimes we get together, we can all eat lunch together as a team, that’s kind of nice. I also like going to when the theater does their shows. I like doing that and the celebrities when they have their winter shows, spring shows, so I like coming to all those events and watching the band. That’s a big deal for us, the band. 

Q: When you were in high school, did you ever visit the student support office

A:  I was a student aid in the front office. That was a long time ago. We got to sell school supplies, just help the kids and then we had to go pick up attendance and we used to have to answer the phone, but back then it was a switchboard. We were like operators. So I learned a lot in the student aid, yeah, that was fun. 

Q: Do you like how it’s come full circle? 

A: We really, really appreciate our students because there’s always so many passes, you know, and so many things that we need help with. I feel like [aides] are a vital part of our school because, you know, we can’t leave to go run the errands for everybody, so that’s why it’s helpful to have the student aides. I just never knew that I would end up working at a high school, but it just kind of worked out that way. 

Q: What are things you would want students to know about you? 

A: Just that I’m a friendly person and if anybody ever needs anything, I’m here to help them anyway I can. I feel like we are open, we’re friends and we try to be friendly with everyone and whoever needs help. We’re here to help them. 

Q: What’s the most important thing you would want students to know about their future? 

A: That they should get their education. It’ll help them in the long run and go off to college and you know, education’s very important. They’ll land a good job because they’re gonna have to support themselves in a family one day, so I think that’s really vital to their existence.

Q: Would you call yourself more introverted or extroverted and why? 

A: I don’t think I’m introverted. I think I’m extroverted because I like to talk to people, I like to be around people. I do get shy and a couple of things. I don’t always necessarily like to get up and talk to people in a big audience, but if I have to, I will. I like to have people around. I feel like I’m more of an extrovert than an introvert. 

Q: What do you do outside of school, what are some of your hobbies and interests?

A: I read a lot and I try to walk as much as I can. I go to concerts. I love going to concerts, rock concerts, and I like hanging out with my friends and especially my family. We have a big family and we get together a lot and play games and eat and that kind of stuff. 

Q: Can you tell me some of your favorite books or artists you’ve seen? 

A: Well, one of the artists that I really like, her name is Ellen Hildebrand. She’s based out of Nantucket and all of her books. I’ve read all of her books and she is a really good author, but she no longer is going to be writing just herself. She’s going to be writing with her daughter now. So I’m not quite sure what she’s going to be doing, but there’s another one, Taylor Jenkins Reid. I like her books too.

Q: What about the artists you’ve seen perform? 

A: There’s too many to list. I grew up in the 60s and 70s, so I got to see Led Zeppelin, I got to see Aerosmith, Journey, Bad Company, Guess Who, Grand Funk Railroad, The Police, Def Leppard, Rod Stewart, really good in concert, love him. I’ve seen so many concerts. So when I was in my 20s, the ticket prices were like $3  or $5 to get into because it was always general admission. Now they’re like $200, so they skyrocketed a lot. That’s why I don’t go anymore because I can’t really afford them. 

Q: What are your favorite TV shows and movies? 

A: Oh, I watch the Hallmark channel. I do like to watch the Hallmark channel, especially at Christmas time because they have a lot of Christmas movies. I like crime, like “48 Hours” and the other ones where you think you know what happens and then it’s somebody else that did it.

Q: Who or what is your biggest influence?

A: My mom. She raised five kids and she was a stay-at-home mom for many years and then once we all grew up, she went to work part time, but she was always home for us. We didn’t have much money growing up, so she would make our Christmases fun. She did the best she could. My dad worked all the time, but I think both of my parents really were [my influences] because they were hard workers. I was in choir and they went to all the choir shows, they would go to the PTA meetings, they were very involved. That’s what I love hearing when people say their parents. 

Q: Is there anything else you’d like to add about you, your job, anything? 

A: It can be stressful, but I really enjoy working here. I think I wouldn’t have stayed here this long if I didn’t like everybody that I worked with because that’s really important. I think we get along, we seem to be a team. I get up every day and there’s days where I don’t want to go to work today, but I’m thankful that I have a job and I’m blessed to have what I have.