According to the Everyday Hero movement, an Everyday Hero is someone who makes the world a better place – like Gloria Zamudio of Joliet.

Zamudio has worked at Joliet Public Schools District 86 for 36 years, first at F.E. Marsh Elementary School until the school closed in 1994 and currently at A.O. Marshall Elementary School, from where Zamudio will retire in June.

“I’m the last one standing from when I started,” Zamudio said. “Everyone else is gone.”

Although Zamudio’s official title is “clerical aide,” her role is “everyday hero,” as she performs dozens of everyday tasks around the school and helps foster “good office camaraderie” by learning about each other and working together as a group, she said.

“It was a good time,” Zamudio said. “I met a lot of people here and got to do quite a bit of things. I’m happy. I had fun here. It was easy to stay.”

No task was too small, whether it was teachers needing chairs moved, walls decorated or worksheets printed and delivered. Zamudio laughed when she recalled the old copier with the crank.

“My hands would get dry and purple from handling the paper,” she said.

But Zamudio’s favorite time of year at A.O. Marshall is Halloween because she loves making elaborate costumes and showcasing them in the school’s parade, she said.

She also loves preparing for Teacher Appreciation Day, Zamudio said.

“I’d had offers to go elsewhere, but no,” Zamudio said. “This is my home.”

Zamudio’s daughter and grandchildren attended A.O. Marshall, so working at the school meant, “I could keep an eye on them,” she said.

“If they got sick, I could take them home,” she said.

Many of the children from Zamudio’s early years are now parents and even grandparents, and she loves that continuity of connection through the years.

“They ask, ‘You’re still here?’” Zamudio said with a laugh and later said, “I loved the kids; I loved the staff that’s come and gone. They kept me young and healthy.”

District 86 Superintendent Theresa Rouse praised Zamudio’s contributions through the years and their lasting impact.

“All our school office employees are truly unsung heroes,” Rouse said. “They play a vital role as the first point of contact for families and community members who visit or call our schools.”

Any advice for new school office employees?

“Just try to learn as much as you can and always be helpful,” Zamudio said. “Someone might not know how things run, so help them along.”