Sometimes, in a school as densely populated as Quartz Hill High School, faces can disappear in the crowd. Students and faculty blend together into a single mass of people. But among those faces, some people reach out and create an impact, one that is impossible to ignore. Midori Foster is one such person. Although she worked in the nook of the accounting office, we have all grown accustomed to seeing her, even if it was the smallest of ways. Whether it was hearing her name on the announcements to turn in CSF dues or purchase our Homecoming tickets, her presence has been so seamlessly integrated into the Quartz Hill environment that it is hard to believe her time with us is over.

“When I think of Ms. Foster, I think of her always being here. She’s always been here,” our principal, Zachary Mercier, stated with a laugh. Not only has her presence been long, but it has also been delightful. Despite being a large school, QHHS fosters a close community in which our school office is connected in what our staff fondly names “the fishbowl.” The fishbowl, essentially the heart of the school, is where all the activity happens. Ms. Foster, without a doubt, affected this change. 

Principal Mercier discussed this during the interview: “First of all, Ms. Foster, without exaggeration, is the sweetest lady– one of the sweetest people I have ever met. She’s just sincere; she’s nice, genuine, positive; I’ve never heard Ms. Foster say anything negative, even when there are opportunities to be frustrated and negative, she’s never negative. That’s the part I will miss most about Ms. Foster. When you carry that kind of energy, that positivity, it’s contagious. You can’t help but notice it when she’s in the room.” 

If there is anything to be said, it is that Ms. Foster truly gave soul to our school. Even if we as students cannot recognize it, the effect she had on the people she worked with and their consequent impact on the school is what makes the Quartz Hill campus unique. Our student body works as a whole, as a unified machine. If one part goes down, five other parts can compensate and work around it. We lift each other up, and people like Midori Foster make it easier to work harder. They turn dull work environments into places we all look forward to waking up in the morning and attending. 

All in all, despite the contagiously positive energy Ms. Foster has brought to our campus, it is time to say goodbye. Principal Mercier’s philosophy regarding this goes as follows: “Everyone is replaceable, that is a harsh reality we all learn when we’re older. So you hope to leave a place better than when you got there. Ms. Foster left Quartz Hill High School better when she left.”

So for any new staff and students coming in now or even in the distant future: welcome. The Quartz Hill campus may seem looming and unforgiving from the outside, but on the inside, it is a warm, welcoming campus if and when you truly open yourself to connecting and learning. So thank you, Ms. Foster, you will be dearly missed, and even more, are dearly loved.