After 26 years and five months, Becton says a heartfelt goodbye to our hard-working administrative assistant, Mrs. Vincenza Olsen-Faivre. Faivre has been a backbone of our Becton community as she takes care of student, parent, and teacher situations, oversees substitute coverage, handles the diplomas for graduation, and as she puts it, “basically takes care of the day-to-day operations of the school.” She nostalgically recalled the 26 graduations she has seen throughout her years alongside the generations of students’ faces.
First starting in August of 1997, she has recalled making many long-term friends and memories, especially in the main office where she settles primarily. However, she stated that her goal all along has been to move to Florida, enjoy the beach, and listen to The Beatles. “I’m planning on going down and enjoying the warm weather and taking some trips. I’d like to go to England to see Abbey Road, where The Beatles shot their album cover. I’m looking forward to enjoying time with my grandchildren,” Faivre indulges, also sharing that she has a bucket list of which she would like to completely fulfill.
Although Faivre and all other staff members are excited for this new chapter of her life, we still have a few melancholy but solemn goodbye’s. “Mrs. Faivre is a ball of energy. She comes in every day ready and raring to go, much to my chagrin when I’m still half asleep early in the morning,” Ms. Sarah Monks, a close friend of Faivre in the workplace, shares, “It is hard to describe the impact that she has had on me, but thinking about not seeing her and having to listen to her long rants everyday makes me very emotional.”
Much similar feelings are expressed by co-worker Mrs. Kathryn Scalera, who describes Faivre as “an irreplaceable part of Becton.” Scalera shares that she believes we will be saying goodbye to one of our Becton’s Best, but she wishes both Faivre and her husband the absolute best. “It still does not seem real that when I enter the main office, she will not be the first face I see each day. She is also the only one in Becton to call me Kathryn instead of my nickname, Katie.”
Faivre is leaving behind a legacy of what it means to be a vital, driven part of people’s lives. Her final piece of advice for the future generations of Becton, “Stay focused on the long-term goal, because it all pays off. What I mean by that is, when you’re ready to retire, you’ll be all set to do it peacefully.”
