TAMPA, Fla. — A typical school day at Roosevelt Elementary in Tampa isn’t complete without Andrea Logan.
She’s been a paraprofessional at the school since 1991.
WATCH: Tampa school celebrates beloved paraprofessional's retirement after more than 30 years in education
“I started out subbing, and it was working with ESE, and that got me going and kept me going because I was helping,” said Logan. “I love helping.”
Day in and day out, students and staff know the familiar face that brightens up hallways.
So, it’s bittersweet that as students get ready for summer, Mrs. Logan is getting ready to retire.
“One of the main things too that made me come back every year is the staff, or friends for a better word, and the support and the love, and this is my family,” she said. “This is my Roosevelt family.”
She’s retiring after 34 years. That’s more than three decades, generations of families, and hundreds of students, but Logan said she still remembers every single one.
Students shared handwritten notes expressing just how much she means to them, including one from 9-year-old Emma Futch.
“She touched so many hearts, and she gave everyone a great start off to school, not just elementary to middle to high, just school,” said Futch.
Some students shared advice on how to make the most of retirement.
“It says go to the beach, enjoy yourself, and party,” Logan laughed. “I love it.”
Logan also knows her days might not start as early.
“I set my alarm for 4:50 a.m. every morning, and that’s the first thing I’m going to do Sunday night. Turn it off,” Logan said.
But when the school year ends and a new chapter begins, this educator’s impact will last a lifetime.
“I’m going to miss my Roosevelt family. I’m going to miss my kids that’s going to the next grade and the next grade, and I’ll always be thinking of them,” Logan said.
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