Everyone’s time comes when they have been working for a good while and it’s their time to retire. It is no different for Linda Feeney, who has been a part of District 127 for 24 years and was there to see the start of GNHS.

Feeney is the counseling secretary and also the sub coordinator. She makes sure there’s a certified staff member in every classroom every day. Also, her counseling job is to help students and staff that come in every single day.

“I think my favorite part is the students. I think working with teenagers was fun. And I think it helped to keep me young, young in mind, at least. What kids are doing, and what they’re watching and how they’re talking, and I just think they can help to keep me up,” Feeney said.

She’s a wonderful woman and many have loved having her here, but she’s an even better grandmother just waiting to be with her grandchildren.

“My husband is already retired. And so I’ll just be joining him, and mostly it’s just not having to get up at five o’clock in the morning anymore. And just enjoying my grandchildren,” she said.

Feeney is upset a bit because she won’t be able to attend one of her favorite school events.

“I have done this in the past. When we used to do the incoming welcome night for the eighth graders. Once the pandemic hit, you know, things have really changed since then, but I would say that was a fun event to be involved with and attend,” Feeney said.

Feeney is the only front office worker now who was here to see the building be built. “And there was a principal, associate principal, myself and then two other secretaries. You know, we have hard hats because the building wasn’t finished yet. And I remember them delivering the computers to the building for the first time, and we actually unloaded a semi and carried them upstairs, and it was just something that you’ll do once in a lifetime,” Feeney said.

Finally after her time here, she leaves behind messages to those who are new.

“I think that they’re lucky to be coming into a school district where the administration and the teachers really care. They care if they succeed. And I think that’s very important. It’s not just, you know, pushing them through, it’s, they care what their goals are, and are they meeting them and what can we do to help them? So I think that’s a good thing,“ Feeney said.