Leslie Arrington in the mountains of Ecuador. Due to the elevation, “you often had to wear a coat and a sunhat at the same time!” she says.
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Position: Database manager. “Essentially I maintain our alumni and donor database, and ensure that the school can receive charitable donations through the NCSSM Foundation.”
Years at NCSSM: 14
Home: Durham, although originally from Pittsburgh, PA
What she does outside of work: Arrington spends a lot of time volunteering and teaching people about the Bible. And she loves to travel. “I really love California. I’ve been to San Jose twice, and traveled around [California] a bit.” She speaks Spanish, and she’s traveled to Spain and Portugal as well as South America.
Arrington lived in Ecuador one spring a few years back. She lived in Pelileo, a small city in the mountains of Ecuador, about an hour from a volcano. “I could see when it spewed ash,” she says.
“I wanted to know if I could make it in another country,” she explains. “So I got a cheap ticket and went. It was really cool, being in a different place, figuring out how to live in another country. I would love to go back sometime.”
What’s next on her travel list? “I’d probably go back to South America, maybe Bolivia, or I know some people in Uruguay.” Her list grows the more she thinks about it. “Maybe the Caribbean, like the Dominican Republic, or…”
What coworkers may not know: “Probably a lot, because I don’t always get the chance to interact with them much. Maybe that I like to travel, or that I speak Spanish.”
Also, not everyone knows that her mother, Martha Arrington, worked at NCSSM for 20 years before retiring a few years back, first in housekeeping, and then as the first voice many people heard when they called the school. She sat at the Watts second-floor reception desk.
Best part of her job: “I work with good people. There are good people at this school.”
Favorite perk of working at NCSSM: Coworkers actually care about each other. “Having worked in other places,” she says, “the people here are friendlier and have more flexibility with each other.” They see the importance of having a life outside of work, and how that can contribute to a more well-rounded staff.
“And the students here!” she adds. “Our students are here because they want to be here, they are motivated and participate in cool things… they’re enjoyable to be around.”
“Even though I don’t directly deal with students, I still enjoy being around them. It’s nice to see the different things they discover and get involved in. Students here have so many opportunities.”
One thing about working here that she would do differently: “I vote for Willie’s response—give everyone a raise!”
— Interview by Sophie Williams