By: Kassidy Lam, Staff Writer

On February 12th, Ms. Alana Tipton, the new administrative assistant, was welcomed to Mills as the replacement of Ms. McGee — the former front desk secretary of over 13 years. 

While currently the cheer coach at Capuchino High School, Ms. Tipton has always shown pride in our school as a Mills alumni. During her time as a student at Mills, she was a cheerleader for all four years. Ms. Tipton graduated in 2002, and has been involved in our school’s activities since. Whether it was helping out at a sports game, or coming to support our athletic teams and present her school spirit, she has always found a way to take the time to stay connected to the school. From 2012 to 2015, she worked as the cafeteria lead at Mills. Reflecting on her prior work experience here, she stated that she really enjoyed the atmosphere that the school provided, commenting, “[Mills] has a different vibe than all the other students at other schools that [she has] worked at,” which made her want to come back and work with us again.

Ms. Tipton has only been here for a few weeks, but already has many goals that she wants to accomplish going forward. This year, she wants to focus on getting to know the staff and faculty in a different way. She is looking forward to “doing some more classroom visits, just introducing [herself] to teachers and then having [students] just be like, ‘Oh, okay. That’s who [she] is.’” She also wants to get to know the teachers and students here, and understand what they want or expect from her. Ms. Tipton is looking forward to exploring the school during lunch and brunch to get to know the students and put a face to her name. She is also planning on staying with Mills in the future and is prepared to overcome  any challenges or obstacles that may occur while she’s working here. In addition, she feels as if there is a high standard that needs to be met, since the previous administration assistant worked with the school for over a decade. No matter what, Ms. Tipton’s main goal isn’t to replace Ms. McGee, but to be just as strong and passionate about her job. 

We are so excited to welcome a new faculty member to our school, and are looking forward to everything that she will do!