By Terra Avilla
Let us take this week to take a hot minute to speak about one of our community’s unsung heroes. She quietly serves so many people, dealing with all of them with grace and compassion. To me, she is a constant source of warmth and kindness every time I enter the Lassen High School counseling office. This person of course is Shanda Hooven.
Shanda works in the counseling office of the high school, and I have no idea exactly how long she has worked for the school, but I know she’s been a dedicated servant to students, teaching staff and parents alike for a very long time.
Shanda works in the registrar’s and counseling office, and is the very first face people see when they enter that part of the high school. Whether it’s a parent to enroll their child or a student who needs to speak with their Counselor, the person they see and encounter every time is Ms. Shanda (or Shanda Panda as I love to call her).
Shanda has a knack in dealing with people of all ages, but her specialty and where I see her shine the most is dealing with teenagers. Over the years I cannot count the number of times when I was dealing with a student, who the only person they wanted to speak with was Shanda.
Shanda has a way with words, helping anxious teenagers feel calmer and providing them with respect. Shanda quickly becomes a person that they trust, and eventually they come to the counseling office for the sole purpose to just see her.
Every Friday (even on days she doesn’t work) Shanda buys bagels and all the cream cheese you could ever want as a treat for everyone in the office. Students included. Every Friday. Without failing. That type of thoughtfulness is just a small sampling of all the sweet things she does for others.
She builds lasting relationships with them and has a genuine love for them. Remembering their birthdays, and other important milestones. How she does all of that, while doing a killer job, I will never know.
No matter the chaos that happens, from lockdowns to angry parents, Shanda always remains a constant source of tranquility.
Over the years, as our friendship grew, she never ceased to amaze me how she continued to carry herself. A thoughtful, loving friend, who consistently puts other people in front of her.
She stays out of the limelight but happily celebrates her friends’ accomplishments and achievements, never wanting any recognition for her own.
Shanda Panda is a caring mother, wife, friend, and grandmother, who shows that her love knows no bounds. Shanda is a crucial part of the Lassen High School Family and will always be one of the reasons I love the place we live in.
