After more than two decades of dedicated service, Maryanne MacDonald will be retiring from her role as assistant to the head of the middle school at the end of this year. MacDonald’s departure represents a significant change, not just for the middle school, but for Nobles at large. As Middle School Dean Colette Finley said, “Mrs. MacDonald is one of the most dedicated employees the school has ever had. The heart and the soul that she brings to her work make it so that she doesn’t just have a position in the middle school. She has a presence. When people think about the middle school, they think of Maryanne.” MacDonald embodies the values that Nobles holds dear, and our community will be fundamentally different without her.
Throughout the course of her life, MacDonald has held a fervent dedication to service. Head of the Middle School John Gifford said, “She’s going through cancer treatment this year, and at the same time, she has [developed a] project where she brings smooth stones with inspirational messages [written on them] for patients to look at, she’s volunteered to be a mentor for [others] going through cancer treatment, [and] she’s worked at a food pantry forever. She is never not giving to others, even when she’s working really hard or going through something difficult.”
In addition to a personal dedication to helping others, MacDonald has worked hard to instill altruism in the youngest members of our community. Kira Morales (Class III) said, “When I was in [middle school], I had a lot of project ideas, and she always helped me out with those. For example, in seventh grade, she helped me start a drive for the animal shelter, and then in eighth grade, she helped me make a teddy bear drive for an orphanage in Mexico.”
“She is never not giving to others, even when she’s working really hard or going through
something difficult.”
Through her mentorship of the middle school prefects, MacDonald has also helped shape a generation of student leaders. Sebastian Escobar (Class V) said, “As an honorary prefect, I have seen a lot of students in the middle school really step up as leaders because of Mrs. MacDonald’s example.” The impact of MacDonald’s work with these young leaders extends far beyond the middle school. Sunehri Verma (Class II), one of next year’s SLC co-presidents and a former middle school prefect, said, “[My relationship with Mrs. MacDonald] is one of the biggest reasons why I hope to emphasize connection [in my SLC role], and specifically connection between students and faculty, and upperclassmen and underclassmen. Having those role models in your life is really important.”
Perhaps what the community will miss most following McDonald’s departure are the many meaningful relationships she has nurtured over the years. Chidubem Chukwu (Class I) said, “No one who has gotten to know her and has had a strong relationship with her can feel disconnected from the Nobles community. For 20 years, she’s really just been helping students, especially those who might feel ostracized or a bit out of place, especially when they are new in the community. She does an incredible job of making students know that they have at least one person in the school who truly cares about them.” Roger Zhou (Class V) said, “I have seen so many students coming to say hi to her from the Upper School, even though they’re long gone from the middle school. I think that really shows that one of her biggest impacts was just being a friend and being someone in your corner when you need it.”
As she moves into retirement, MacDonald will continue working half-days at Nobles a few times per week and hopes to continue serving local communities. Reflecting on her plans for retirement, MacDonald said, “I look forward to being able to spend a little more time with my family and friends[…] and maybe get some more walks in. I do plan to volunteer at Mass General Hospital and to connect with other patients and offer them some hope.” When asked about her vision for the future of this community, MacDonald said, “A lot of people need help, and I know that this community will continue to work to make that gap [between those in need and those who can help] a little smaller.”
“A lot of people need help, and I know that this community will continue to work to make
that gap a little smaller.”
Much of what MacDonald does for this community goes unsung, and that is perhaps what makes her career most extraordinary: She has given her all to Nobles without any expectation of acknowledgement or praise. As Chukwu said, “One lesson that I’ve learned from observing how she works is that the most valuable things in life are the things that you don’t do for recognition. She does so much for this school that she doesn’t get recognized for, but it’s clear that she still finds her job so fulfilling[…] You know that something is fulfilling when you’ll do it regardless of whether you’re being recognized for it or not.”
Over the course of her tenure at Nobles, MacDonald has forged countless meaningful connections, helping students discover who they are and what they can offer to others. MacDonald’s legacy will live on in every student she has supported, every leader she has inspired, and the many acts of kindness that will ripple outwards from her example.
