As someone who grew up reading anything she could get her hands on, I built a strong connection with reading. I was able to live a thousand different lives and experience so many experiences without ever having to leave where I was sitting. Because of this, I have always loved spending my time inside a library.

This year, a beloved member of our school is retiring. Mrs. Brady has been our librarian for 40 years and this year she is saying goodbye to her library. Mrs. Brady has always worked hard to ensure that students had somewhere to go for anything they needed. She built a community where students are always welcome, and built a place so students could thrive. Mrs. Brady has impacted me in more ways than one, and I am thankful for all the help she has offered me and many students around me.

Mrs. Brady shared with me some of her favorite memories, advice, and what her experiences were like here at Clearfield. One of her favorite memories was when they were doing construction near the soccer fields, a nest of snakes got disturbed, and she witnessed custodians carrying bundles of yellow snakes through the hall.

She also shared how she enjoyed every first day of the school year, as she loved watching the students return and seeing how they changed in many ways. In relation, Mrs. Brady shared that her favorite part about working with the students in the library is being able to see them grow. She says she loves seeing students grow from nervous seventh graders into smart, mature adults when they graduate.

Even though she will miss our school and the students, Mrs. Brady is looking forward to not having to wake up at 4 a.m. every morning. She is also excited to have time to pursue many of her favorite hobbies, including fishing.

Some things Mrs. Brady wants students to take away from her and the strong community she has built is to know that the adults are to here to help you, and that you are valued. She wants students to remember that life is full of opportunities and to stay away from the negative people in life. She also adds to support libraries!