As parents, teachers and students walk in and out of the office at Stonebridge Elementary, they are welcomed by a white-haired lady in the window. She never fails to spark a conversation, usually started by offering a treat out of her desk drawers stuffed with sweets. She has no job title because she works for no pay. For 35 years, there has been something for her to help out with, and that is one of the reasons Karen Rose always comes back.

“Someone said to me today, ‘You’re the official greeter,’” said Rose, “and I guess I am because I sit right here by the door and I see everybody and talk to everybody.”

When she is not at her desk in the window, Rose is out and about around the building. Whether she is scooping corn on kids’ trays in the cafeteria, or guiding kindergartners to buses named after animals and school supplies, she is a part of the students’ lives just as much as a paid teacher or paraprofessional.

She got started at Stonebridge when she was driving her kids to school everyday. She would often stay the day to help out in the office to save herself a trip home and back. Eventually, it led to a permanent volunteer job.

“I thought I might as well stay and help out for a while. Pretty soon people knew I was there and they were trying to get me to help with whatever,” said Rose.

The work she does at Stonebridge is never the same year to year. She fills in wherever she is needed, so the job never gets old.

“I helped kids with reading and math, and I taught art and Spanish because it was a need for us,” said Rose. “Now, I help Joan in the office and with parents coming and going. I also do some of the tours through the school, you know people come from Thailand and Finland looking to condense their class sizes down and individualize the curriculum.”

A large part of her role at Stonebridge is helping serve food in the cafeteria. The cafeteria is where she has a lot of her interaction with the kids.

“Kids are kids and the little ones are spilling their food all over,” said Rose, “and after a while it doesn’t matter because I have ketchup all over me and and I look down at this little kid and it’s all worth it because they’re so cute.”

To commemorate Rose’s dedication to the school, Stonebridge renamed the school courtyard. The courtyard is a garden and learning area in the center of the building where students over the years have planted flowers and measured rainfall. In the spring, the courtyard blooms with life and color. A few years ago, Stonebridge decided to honor Rose by naming the courtyard after her.

“There’s a plaque that says ‘The Rose Garden,’” she said. “It was really amazing, there it is in gold. I had never had anything named after me before.”

Rose has been a part of Stonebridge for 35 years, which leaves people wondering if she will ever decide to stop.

“Sometimes when it’s this cold out I think about it,” said Rose regarding retirement, “but I have my two eight-year-old nephews in third grade so as long as they’re here I will be here.”

Her spirit and energy have not faltered yet. She loves the job as much as she ever has.

“As long as I can still move and get around, you’ll have to face me,” said Rose. “I enjoy Joan and Mary and Kathy, it’s a fun group. I would just go home and stare at the wall if I weren’t here, so it is pretty great.”

The impact that Rose has had on Stonebridge is substantial. The staff and students will count on her to serve the school for years to come and to keep her desk drawers filled with candy.