Friendly Face at the Front

Aulani Marley | Dec. 11th, 2019 | Features

Each day, at  2:50 p.m., a voice familiar to Stanton College Preparatory School’s students comes through the intercom to deliver the afternoon announcements.  After sharing important cancellations and last-minute bulletins, she exclaims: “And remember, there is never ever activity buses on Fridays!” 

photo by Hannah Furry

Although students may know Mrs. Sheila Epps’ voice, they may not know her story, or what brought her to Stanton. 

Mrs. Epps is originally from Gary, Ind., and moved to Jacksonville, Fla. when she was just 5-years-old. From then on, she continued to live in Jacksonville. 

Later on, Mrs. Epps worked at Robert E. Lee High School, where she was eventually surplused since the school did not have appropriate funding at the time to keep her there. 

Originally, Mrs. Epps was brought to Stanton by chance, and she has since been integrated into Stanton’s daily events and culture for over twenty years. She started working at Stanton when she was placed at Stanton by former principal of Stanton, Dr. Ed Pratt-Dannals in the summer of 1996. Since then, she has been able to witness the student body change over time, with a variety of new students every year. 

“I am glad I was brought over to Stanton, I enjoy working here,”  said Mrs. Epps, who joked about how she was nervous about coming to Stanton. “The first thing I thought about is the kids were going to say words I don’t even know, but that only has happened one time over the years.” 

Mrs. Epps plays many important roles behind the scenes of the school. On Duval County Public School’s website, her job is described as “School Office Assistant.” This brief description does not cover the many duties that she performs in the office. She is most well-known by students for her afternoon announcements, summarizing the day’s information so students are informed about important events. 

“I think of her as running the front office, making sure everyone has their IDs on, and following the code,” said freshman Charlee Evoniuk. “She is important because she makes announcements about the day and transportation changes.”

In addition to providing information over the announcements, Mrs. Epps plays a role in helping all areas of the main office. She aids the administrators and teachers and is constantly providing help to any area necessary. 

By providing support to everyone in the office, Mrs. Epps plays a role in making sure everything done. These jobs include helping administration and ensuring the teachers’ boxes are organized. In addition, when students are in need of help or sent by teachers to do something in the front office, Mrs. Epps acts as a liaison, providing help and support.

“Mrs. Epps is a comforting presence when getting something for teachers in the office,” said senior Raha Riazati. “She acts as a link between the students and teachers and goes out of her way to help you.”

Mrs. Epps is known as a kind and welcoming presence for many students who have encountered her, making them feel more at ease when having to do something for teachers or administrators.

“I love working here and I love the teenagers,” said Mrs. Epps. “Some adults may think that is strange, but I truly do love working with them.”

Mrs. Epps’ roles at Stanton involve more than just narrating the announcements. She is also a helping hand for administrators, teachers, and students, ensuring that everyone is able to get what they need. Her duties include more than helping in the main office, but she is also a friendly face who has a positive impact throughout the school.