By Pamela Anderson
Editor's note: This is part of a three-part profile in The Branford Buzz about the new administrative assistants to the school principals. Read about Trisha Simmons here. Read about Beth Jenkins here.
Many people at BHS already know Megan Bozzuto, who graduated in 2010, and was a paraprofessional in the building for the past five years. But now she has a different role – as the new administrative assistant to Assistant Principal Stephanie Byrd.
In her new role, Bozzuto helps make student schedules, does transcripts for students and takes phone calls for Mrs. Byrd.
For Buzzuto, the goal was to have a more permanent job. “At this point in my life I love what I do, I want to move forward and move up,” she said. “You don’t want to move backwards, you want to move forward.”
Bozzuto had to put all of her strengths together in order for this to fully work, although she knew taking this job meant more responsibility she had exceeded the high expectations to perform her job very well.
It was quite a change from transitioning from one job to another. When she transitioned to this new job several months ago, Bozzuto had to adapt to all of the changes in her schedule. She had to go through training for two hours a day for a couple of weeks to learn the necessary skills and knowledge she needs.
Working everyday closely with kids in a classroom was far different from the work she is doing now. She doesn’t discipline kids – Mrs Byrd handles that – but she had to learn how to be very straightforward with them, she said.
Bozzuto mainly took this position because she has kids. She knew that she didn’t want to be a para for the rest of her life but certainly does not regret having the chance to make a special connection with some kids when she was a paraprofessional.
“I still see [my former students] in the hallways, they visit me sometimes,” Bozzuto said. “If I’m having a bad day they make me laugh.”
Bozzuto explains that she’s always loved working with kids. Before working at BHS she got the chance to work with little children and transitioned to working with high school students.
“This job can be overwhelming, but once you get something, you get it,” Bozzuto said. “This job is so much more than what people think. It is so much more behind the scenes.”
