NOTTINGHAM, MD—Mollie Kessel, front office secretary at Perry Hall High School, has been selected as Office Professional of the Year for the 2022-2023 school year by the Education Support Professionals of Baltimore County.
“I treasure opportunities to recognize our amazing office professionals like Mollie Kessel,” said Baltimore County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Darryl L. Williams. “She is a wonderful example of the dedicated and highly-skilled team members working in offices across our county.”
Principal Craig Reed said, “Mollie is truly exceptionally giving of her time and cares about the results we achieve here at Perry Hall High. For example, during the height of the Omicron surge of the pandemic, she worked with administrators to manage coverage of all our classrooms. Her efforts were integral in helping us stay open. That is the kind of dedicated and caring professional she is.”
In nominating Kessel to be honored, Perry Hall High special education teacher Adrienne Stanwood wrote, “Mollie goes above and beyond for the school and staff every day. She is constantly trying her best to provide coverage for staff members and is extremely caring. She does her best to provide you with the tools needed to do your job and is always looking for ways to help where she can. She frequently gives up her own time to help in the office when it is busy.”
“Mrs. Kessel represents all that is good within Baltimore Country Public Schools,” said Daniel Probst, social studies department chair at Perry Hall High. “Her support of the mission and vision of our system is demonstrated daily in her actions and interactions with other members of our school community. Mrs. Kessel prioritizes our number one clientele, our students, as she greets them with a smile and a problem-solving attitude regardless of the situation. In that same mindset, she serves student needs by being the glue that holds our main office together.”
Stacy Bryan, BCPS supervisor of teaching and learning, added, “Ms. Kessel’s commitment to students and to the work of our system is second to none. In addition to serving full-time as an office professional during the day at Perry Hall High School, Kessel works two additional evenings per week [at the Extended Day Learning Program] supporting staff providing additional instruction to our system’s ‘at-promise’ high school youth, many of whom are young adults seeking alternative pathways to graduation. Ms. Kessel makes it a point to get to know students by name as one of the first people students interact with as they navigate access to our program. She supports engagement by making calls to our students’ homes and encouraging their participation and attendance and celebrates when they are responsive to reinforce their participation.”
Kessel began working for BCPS in 2001, and she has served in office positions at Sandy Plains Elementary, Sandalwood Elementary, and Dundalk Middle schools. Since 2015, she has been the secretary for the Southeast Extended Day Learning Program at Dundalk High School. She has been front office secretary at Perry Hall High School since 2017. From 2012 – 2014, Kessel left BCPS to do mission work in Tanzania. While there, she opened an orphanage that continues to operate.
