The Poway Unified School District (PUSD) is proud to announce that Andrea Schmidt, School Bus Driver; Alisa Mendenhall, Accounting Assistant IV for Preschool, After School and Extended Student Services; Debra Sabatini, Health Technician at Bernardo Heights Middle School; and Julie Charles, Health Technician at Willow Grove Elementary School have all been chosen as the PUSD Classified Employees of the Year for 2022. The selection of the District Classified Employees of the Year is based on job performance, dedication to the community, and contributions to PUSD. A committee comprised of District and school site representatives are responsible for the selection. Additionally, the San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE) sponsors a recognition program for classified employees, which honors members for all of San Diego County. Andrea Schmidt was forwarded to SDCOE for consideration at the county level.
2022 Classified of Year
Andrea Schmidt, Alisa Mendenhall, Debra Sabatini, Julie Charles Receive School District Honor
Andrea Schmidt, School Bus Driver, Transportation Department
Andrea’s love for life, her students, their families, and her team members is evident in everything that she does. She takes positive action to improve the wellness of her environment and interacts with everyone and every situation in an uplifting, motivating manner.
Andrea has worked in PUSD for 5 years and has consistently shown commitment to student and community safety through her understanding of policies and meticulous awareness of issues that could impact safety and liability.
She is passionate about building relationships and meeting the needs of students and her Transportation team members. When the Transportation Department experienced unprecedented driver shortage and workload, Andrea created weekly videos on social media to highlight Andrea Schmidt, School Bus Driver her fellow team members and the importance of transportation. These videos gained media attention which ultimately contributed to an influx of driver trainee candidates and workload relief.
Alisa Mendenhall, Accounting Assistant IV, Preschool, After School and Extended Student Services
Alisa has served on #TeamPUSD for 27 years and 8 of those years have been in her current role as Accounting Assistant. She fully embodies what it means to be a part of a team and handles her roles with efficiency, organization, and timeliness. Her patience and humility when interacting with parents, team members, and leadership is unmatched.
Alisa’s dedication to her job is not only reflected in the professional way she interacts with customers but also in her eagerness to learn new systems and skills. In her department’s most recent transition to a new billing system, she made it a personal goal to increase her daily effectiveness and train others in what she learned.
Throughout her time in PUSD she has not only served as an employee, but also volunteered her time actively participating on the PTA and other school site programs while her daughters attended. She now uses her accounting skills outside of the workday as the Treasurer on the HOA Board of her community.
Debra Sabatini, Health Technician, Bernardo Heights Middle School
Debra, who has dedicated 17 years to the Poway Unified School District, has served as an inspiration to both students and staff alike because of her unwavering support to student health and well-being in the most chaotic of times. Through the year of everchanging guidelines and protocols, she managed to keep a smile on her face and warmly welcome everyone into her health office. Regardless of her expanding job roles, new COVID responsibilities and the like, she remained a consistent support and friendly face to Bernardo Heights students.
Debra is often the first contact a student has after an injury or reported health concern and her welcoming nature makes all the difference.
In addition to her care for students that enter the health office, Debra is also involved multiple campus support programs. She is involved in the AdoptA-Family program where she coordinates with the District Office and campus volunteers to ensure families in need are receiving support and benefitting from the program. She also is integral in ensuring that staff members are supported during life-altering situations such as loss of a family member or new births – whether it’s coordinating meals or simply sending flowers, she makes sure that no one feels alone in their situation.
Debra has great integrity and works diligently to ensure she does the best she can with any situation she faces. She successfully prioritizes site and student needs daily, while also providing support to other Health Technicians in the District.
Julie Charles, Health Technician, Willow Grove Elementary School
With 15 years of service, Julie is no stranger to the pressures and difficulties that come with being a Health Technician. Through it all, she is calm, compassionate, and knowledgeable; going above and beyond to support students, staff, and parents. She responds well under pressure, strives to establish trust between herself and students, and always responds with kindness. Team members describe her as “the ultimate multitasker” and “sunshine on our campus”.
Throughout the pandemic, Julie has shown incredible strength while maneuvering through mandated policies, procedures, and their numerous changes. She remained composed, compassionate, and provided knowledgeable communication for parents to keep families calm during times of uncertainty.
Julie takes on leadership roles – both in and out of her daily job responsibilities – with enthusiasm and always aims to better herself and others. One of these roles is as the Safety Patrol Coordinator. Under her leadership, the Willow Grove Safety Patrol has been selected as the #1 Safety Patrol in the Northwestern County Division for the past four years. Julie is also active in her site’s Adopt-a-Family program and serves as the Safety Team Lead on campus.