by Rafael Escobedo

Every single day both administrators and teachers strive to make sure the students are able to get the best education possible. However, there is one person behind the scenes that makes all of this possible, Mrs. Lorraine Limatola, who has been our Administrative Coordinator here at St. John Bosco High School for almost 20 years.

Growing up locally and attending Downey High School, Mrs. Limatola took on many different jobs up until she saw an opening here at Bosco in the newspaper, which led to the beginning of her time here.

“As soon as I read the original employment ad in a local newspaper, I immediately thought to myself ‘I can do that,'” said Mrs. Limatola. “Truth be told, I got the job by default. The original candidate passed on the job, and lucky for me, I was runner-up. The rest is history!”

At first, she was given the role of School Secretary. But she was asked the following year if she’d be interested in becoming Administrative Coordinator, to which she happily agreed.

Wver since she started here, Mrs. Limatola has always believed that Bosco is a special place. She believes not only the students and teachers here make it great, but the place overall holds importance, making her feel proud to work here.

“When I first stepped onto the campus, I instantly felt that this was truly a special community and somewhere I wanted to be,” said Mrs. Limatola.

Mrs. Limatola is viewed as a source of positive energy and motivation who is always looking to help, whether that be with planning school events or, most importantly, celebrating the accomplishments of both students and teachers.

“Her dedication and generous spirit are the greatest part of her everyday ethos. She is also very proud of her family and everything she does for Bosco is a reflection of the love and adoration she has for them,” said Assistant Principal of Academic Affairs Derrick Fernando. “Often I hear her say how she must work her hardest to support our school community because of how much the school has supported her family.”

Both Mr. Fernando as well as Principal Mr. Antonelli are extremely thankful for having Mrs. Limatola, as she not only allows for their roles to be easier but the entire administrative team. She holds the administrative team together, helping to organize meetings and assist families who may have questions or any concerns.

“For me specifically, she is a great sounding board, both in terms of the experience she has had with previous APs of Academic Affairs and her ability to know what is happening on campus that needs to be addressed,” Mr. Fernando said. “Mrs. Limatola always provides me with the support and guidance I need when I need it.”

Mr. Antonelli further believes her commitment and work ethic are second to none.

“She is a model of the Salesian charism for everyone on campus,” said Mr. Antonelli. “[She] is able to gracefully navigate the many personalities that run through the administrative hallway, allowing the school to meet the needs of a dynamic student body.”

Mrs. Limatola’s goal is to improve the attendance levels of students, as she believes that getting to school on time holds great importance. In addition, she believes that parents should give further notice to the school prior to students are leaving class for personal reasons. 

This is due to the fact that this year is more strict than in recent years, with administrators emphasizing being on time and dishing out the consequences if tardiness becomes habitual.

“I would like to see improvement with tardy counts. No one wants to see [students] receive a Saturday School,” Mrs. Limatola said.

“Your family is sending you to SJB to get an excellent education; so please do your best to arrive on time to each of your periods and to be respectful of your teacher’s and classmates’ time.  Arrive early to school and enjoy the time at SJB because the years truly do fly by.”

The motto that allows her to keep doing what she does is: “It’s for the boys.” She believes that the staff as a whole can truly make a difference and have an impact on the students lives.

This is due to the fact that every single one of her colleagues inspires her to always be better. She hopes to leave an impact on the Brave community through her stalwart work ethic, just as Ms. Woods has, who is someone she admires greatly, praising her for running the attendance office all these years.