Seated in her office, looking through the windows into the crowded overpass, Carol Scheffler works tirelessly to ensure that the students at Mamaroneck High School have lots of amazing events to look forward to. In her position as the Coordinator of Student Activities, she oversees all of the extracurricular events and most special events (excluding sports) at MHS. Scheffler teaches leadership skills to students by giving as many students as possible the opportunity to be involved in student government or on the Social Events Committee. She created the Social Events Committee as an alternative opportunity to be on Student Council. The Social Events Committee focuses solely on events and activities, whereas the Student Council works on a broader scale with fundraising, and larger events like Prom. The two will work together sometimes with certain events. When she started her job, Scheffler was only responsible for throwing four events a year; through her devotion and hard work, Scheffler and the students now have an event almost every two weeks.
Scheffler did not always work in schools, she originally started out in television, appearing as a host and guest on different shows (notably on NBC’s Today Show) and she is an author of multiple craft books as well. However, she gave up all that glamor for what she considers to be, “the best job in the world.” Scheffler wants to deliver for the students, so despite the fact that she does not work full time, she knows that if she is not present at MHS, events like Battle of the Classes or fun holiday activities wouldn’t happen. Without these events, she believes students would struggle. Scheffler is aware that high school can be a challenging four years and she is aware of the enormous pressures that students face both in and out of school. Scheffler looks at her job as a way “to bring joy and fun to students’ experiences here.” She stresses the fact that if high school was all work, it would be awful, explaining how important relaxing, making friends, and creating memories is for students. Scheffler reminisces that, “I don’t remember much about my academic experience in high school but I remember all the fun things.”
This year is a big year for Scheffler and the students she works with; after having to “reinvent fun” last year, social events were largely able to return to their pre-pandemic glory. Her favorite event that was not possible during the 2020-2021 school year is the Club Fair, an event where all of the club presidents set up tables for students to view all of the clubs and join the ones they are interested in. Scheffler loves the Club Fair because “it’s a total celebration of the students of the school and the breaths of their interest and leadership.” Scheffler admitted that the Club Fair is an “event where I cry a little” because of how much she loves seeing the students’ success. The sight of the track packed with students, who are eagerly waiting to sign up for new clubs is something that makes Scheffler grateful for her job.
Scheffler is not only grateful for getting to work with students, but explained that it is her favorite part of her job. “The students are extraordinary and they always impress me. I laugh most of my days just chatting with kids.” The affection is mutual, and the general consensus from Student Council is that they love working with Scheffler and that none of the special events at MHS would be possible without her dedication. Magda Martinez, Junior Class President, explained that “Carol is truly the glue that brings everything together. Her presence makes student committees so much more fun and she is able to spark school spirit in anyone.”