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Mary Pat Harper

Volunteer Spotlight

Volunteer Spotlight

Our April ACE Award Volunteer of the Month was awarded to MARY PAT HARPER from our Education Department. Mary Petrone, the head of the education department nominated Mary Pat because she has been instrumental in forming the very successful education committee. Mary Pat received a Certificate of Recognition from the Board of Directors, a logo item from PSLBG, and a 50 % off coupon from the Gardens Gate Gift Shop.

In January of 2021 Mary Pat came to the gardens, and after a conversation with our Vice President, Heather Furnari, she was encouraged to join the education department due to her background in education. She and Mary Petrone immediately knew that they were ‘in sync’ with their goals for children’s education. She has worked tirelessly to fulfill the goals of the education department, and along with Mary Petrone, has coordinated many other activities, such as the recent Ladybug Launch, a collaboration with Morningside Library, and story time in the Fearie Forrest during the Art Show.

Mary Pat helped develop our backpack and scavenger hunt program for children, and created the 5 standardized lessons for children that are used weekly in the gardens.

Mary Pat’s career in Education as a teacher in upstate NY, and her further experience locally after her retirement as a volunteer in SLC schools, made her more than qualified to institute these programs at the gardens.

Mary Petrone has said that Mary Pat, affectionately known as Sister Mary Pat for her organizational skills, her focus, her ability to constantly be moving forward, her ability as the Education Departments’ ‘Task Master’ and her ability to ‘get things done’ no matter the time pressure, makes her uniquely qualified to be April’s Volunteer of the Month.

THANK YOU MARY PAT !!
from all of us at Friends