Unspoken Heroes of Blakefield: Denise Hershel
Unspoken Heroes of Blakefield is a student project organized by Andreas Diokno '24, with photography by Chris Nwafor '24, dedicated to spotlighting those in our school community who may not always receive the recognition they deserve. Our third Unspoken Hero is Mrs. Denise Hershel, Administrative Assistant to the Upper School.
Unspoken Hero of Blakefield: Denise Hershel
by Andreas Diokno '24
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Unspoken Hero of Blakefield: Denise Hershel
by Andreas Diokno '24
Mrs. Hershel is the administrative assistant for Loyola Blakefield’s upper school. She is in charge of handling the requests of administrators and students; whether that is class schedules, time for the bells to ring, or a teacher who will need a proctor, she makes it happen. In 2008, she was working part-time when a friend of hers who worked at the school told her of a job opening at Loyola. When Mrs. Hershel arrived on campus, she instantly fell in love and felt at home.
In her spare time, Mrs. Hershel enjoys spending time with her friends and family as well as going on weekend trips and out to dinners. She loves to read and is currently in a book club. Above all, she loves what she does for work and cherishes the moments of her job when it involves anything with students. One of Mrs. Hershel’s favorite moments was Turkey Bowl 101, where the Dons took home the victory over Calvert Hall in an intense back-and-forth game. She is also always involved with the Adopt-A-Family program, which provides presents for families who can’t afford presents for Christmas. She expressed how she enjoys buying gifts for her grandchildren, but also being able to provide for others around Christmas, too.
I had the opportunity to talk with Ms. Hart about the impact that Mrs. Hershel has on her and other people. Last school year, Ms. Hart suffered the loss of her mother in a car accident. Mrs. Hershel, whom Ms. Hart described as her “work mom”, decided to do something very special for Ms. Hart’s birthday. She decided to name the month of May “Laura Hart Month”, leaving a note or gift for Ms. Hart every day. These notes or gifts would be “a candle, magnet, or notes of encouragement or uplifting”. Ms. Hart went on to tell me how Mrs. Hershel is constantly going out of her way to make people’s lives better and make people feel appreciated.
I selected Mrs. Hershel as an unspoken hero after receiving numerous requests from our student body. Students, such as Kaden Onolaja ’24, have stated how Mrs. Hershel is always there to “lend a helping hand” and give “a friendly smile whenever I absolutely need it”. Mrs. Hershel, on top of organizing proctors for teachers and arranging meetings, is always there for those who just need someone to talk to or need a starburst. If you see Mrs. Hershel throughout the day or happen to go into the front office of Burke, please show your gratitude for everything she does.
In her spare time, Mrs. Hershel enjoys spending time with her friends and family as well as going on weekend trips and out to dinners. She loves to read and is currently in a book club. Above all, she loves what she does for work and cherishes the moments of her job when it involves anything with students. One of Mrs. Hershel’s favorite moments was Turkey Bowl 101, where the Dons took home the victory over Calvert Hall in an intense back-and-forth game. She is also always involved with the Adopt-A-Family program, which provides presents for families who can’t afford presents for Christmas. She expressed how she enjoys buying gifts for her grandchildren, but also being able to provide for others around Christmas, too.
I had the opportunity to talk with Ms. Hart about the impact that Mrs. Hershel has on her and other people. Last school year, Ms. Hart suffered the loss of her mother in a car accident. Mrs. Hershel, whom Ms. Hart described as her “work mom”, decided to do something very special for Ms. Hart’s birthday. She decided to name the month of May “Laura Hart Month”, leaving a note or gift for Ms. Hart every day. These notes or gifts would be “a candle, magnet, or notes of encouragement or uplifting”. Ms. Hart went on to tell me how Mrs. Hershel is constantly going out of her way to make people’s lives better and make people feel appreciated.
I selected Mrs. Hershel as an unspoken hero after receiving numerous requests from our student body. Students, such as Kaden Onolaja ’24, have stated how Mrs. Hershel is always there to “lend a helping hand” and give “a friendly smile whenever I absolutely need it”. Mrs. Hershel, on top of organizing proctors for teachers and arranging meetings, is always there for those who just need someone to talk to or need a starburst. If you see Mrs. Hershel throughout the day or happen to go into the front office of Burke, please show your gratitude for everything she does.
