Spotlight on Jefferson Elementary's Admin Assistant

With more than two decades of service in various capacities at Carlsbad Unified School District, Administrative Assistant Mary Christian knows District and site operations well and she also knows her way around office equipment. She jokes, “Our old copier breaks down so frequently that I’ve learned enough to be a mechanic by now!”

Mary began her career in food service at . After that, she worked at the District Office (past and present facilities) in purchasing and accounting.  The expertise carries over, she says. “I use my accounting skills, which I strengthened by taking courses at MiraCosta, here at Jefferson.”

What is a day in the life of Mary Christian like? Really busy! I do a little bit of everything; it adds up to a lot. I take direction from the principal, answer phone calls from parents, handle correspondence and other office tasks. There is always something to do. We have a lot of personal contact with our moms and dads, many of whom prefer to come in and get their questions answered face to face.

What do you like best about your job? I love Jefferson. My three kids went here. It was and still is a unique and friendly school. We have a warm, family-type  atmosphere. That and the great benefits make this a very nice place to work.

Do you remember your first car? Oh yes: a little red 1964 VW. I bought it used in the mid-1970s.  

What is your favorite movie: I loved “Rainman.” I also like “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” I like movies that are interesting and different.

What was your first job? I worked in a bank. Boy, that would have gotten old after 20-some years!

What do you like to do when you’re not working? My husband, Bob, and I like to go to the beach and go hiking, but my favorite thing is being with our grandchildren. Each of my sons has a girl and my daughter, Julia, has two kids. They live in Peru, so we Skype a lot. I am going to visit them this summer.

Tell us something people may not know about you. Julia was a competitive surfer who started competing while she was at Valley and later surfed on the World Championship Tour pro circuit. When she was a teenager, I accompanied her to South Africa and Great Britain -- places I would never have gone to otherwise. It was quite an experience.                                     

–CUSD Press Release