By J1 Reporter Victoria Ackermann

Answering phone calls and taking names. These are only two of the many duties new front office manager Mrs. Diane Hancock has to deal with every day.

After her and her husband were to move to Omaha to be closer to family after living their whole lives 127 miles away in Fort Dodge, Iowa, Diane Hancock was left to find a new job in this new city. Hancock found her way to Marian through her daughters who once interned and worked for the school in the public relations office.
With a resume of working in the front office of St. Edmond School in Fort Dodge for 11 years to support her, she was prepared to take over the same title at Marian.
Just mere days after moving to Omaha in May, Hancock began her job as new Front Office Manager. Boxes were yet to be unpacked all over her house and a city 50 times the size of her hometown was yet to be navigated, but she began her training with high hopes.
Her trainer, former Front Office Manager, Ms. Adrianna Magistro describes training with Hancock, “I wrote up a guide to help her, and she wanted to be hands on right away. She was a quick learner and wanted to do everything on her own while I watched and modified anything that needed to be changed.”
Hancock says that although her basic training is over, “I still learn something new every day.”
She is not completely alone to tend to office duties, however. Work study student, Carlie Meeks, is there to assist Hancock during Block A. She said that Hancock has adjusted well to the new job. “She gets a lot of help and stays humble and isn’t afraid to ask questions.” Meeks also enjoys Hancock as a person. “She is a very nice person who doesn’t push us to do duties we don’t want to do. She is fun and let’s us listen to music and do homework when we are here.”
Hancock is a big fan of the religious environment Marian provides and is happy to be a part of the community. “I feel at home in a Catholic school because I’ve gone to one and worked at one for almost my whole life. I love the people and how helpful and kind they are,” Hancock said.
Although things can get overwhelming in the front office, with absent students lice outbreaks, Hancock strives to stay calm prioritize her duties. Her job of controlling the front office begins an hour before school starts and ends at at least an hour after the final bells rings.
“The morning when every student is accounted for and I know where everyone is is without a doubt my favorite part of the day,” Hancock said.
Hancock said she is more than happy to be at Marian. She proves to be helpful in the front office and executes her day-to-day duties with a smile on her face. Nothing can bring her down, except for when teachers forget to send in their attendance.