Ms. Garcia: The Face of CDH
Greta Cunningham ‘23, Communications Intern
August 30, 2023
In 2022, Pilar Garcia ’87 started working at Cretin-Derham Hall as an attendance clerk. As the first person to welcome students day to day and new families during their first visits, she has quickly become a beloved member of the community.
“My favorite part of my job is just interacting with people – people are my fuel,” she said. “Everyone has stuff going on, and I love being a listener and showing my compassion and care for people. That's really a lot of what this position is.”
Garcia credits these strengths to her 30 years as the manager at Cafe Latte.
“I managed one of the most popular restaurants in St. Paul, and I’m really proud of that. It was a very tough and rewarding position because it made me the person that I am today, just accepting and loving towards people,” she said. “People always called me the face of Cafe Latte and the face of Grand Avenue, and now I've taken that to my position here to be the face of CDH.”
It’s not only the welcoming role that harks back to her time at Cafe Latte but the quick pace of her work day.
“My day is busy from the time I get here until it’s time for me to leave. My phone is ringing, emails are coming in, kids are getting back from appointments, and visitors are stopping by. It’s nonstop, and I absolutely love that,” she said.
But, despite the similarities, working in a school is also its own unique experience.
“I've never worked in a school before, and it’s been pretty amazing. What’s really stood out to me is the dedication of the staff and the faculty at this school. That's just been overwhelming,” said Garcia. “They put so much love and hard work into what they do.”
Garcia saw this first hand when she was a student at Derham.
“I fondly remember Mr. Lundell. He was my geometry teacher, and he really helped me out when I was struggling. That will always be the class I remember the most,” she said.
Back at her alma mater as an adult, Garcia has had the rare opportunity to live through quintessential high school milestones again. This winter during one of the school year’s pep fests, staff and faculty, including Garcia, competed against each other in a basketball competition, the winners of which moved on to play against the victorious students in a final game she almost won.
“I think that, in the short time that I've been here, I have made an impact on people. I really felt that way when I was in the pep fest for basketball and all the students were cheering for me. That was such a great moment, and I knew that I’d made it in school then,” she said.
Another highlight for Garcia was the seniors’ return to CDH for a luncheon with their families after the Baccalaureate Mass, their last time in the building before graduation. At the Mass, students were played a recording of “pearls of wisdom” left for them by teachers and staff to offer advice and encouragement as they entered the next stage of life.
“I was able to be at the door and greet everybody, and so many people just came up to me to introduce me to their parents, tell me they appreciated my pearl, or say ‘We love you.’ It was a beautiful moment for me,” she said. “I love to see how CDH has come together for so many people. I’m just blown away by the sense of community here.”
It’s a community Garcia is excited to be a part of for years to come.
“I feel like I've come full circle and this is where I'm supposed to be,” she said.