Brittany Jilek, Attendance Secretary - Vista Ridge High School

"Hopefully I get to be a bright spot in their day, adding a smile or some encouraging note - it definitely makes you feel like you’re making a difference,” says Brittany Jilek, attendance secretary, explaining why she enjoys working with students at Vista Ridge High School in District 49. Born in Colorado, Jilek grew up in San Diego. She later earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from George Fox University in Newberg, Oregon. She spent several years honing her skills as a dog trainer, and working as a barista in the coffee industry. Jilek moved back to Colorado in 2010 and was hired at Falcon Elementary School of Technology, where she first became a school secretary. In July 2015, she transferred to Vista Ridge High School. She says the school's students extend a sense of kinship in her life, or an ability to “feel kind of like their family.”