ALLIANCE – Melody Schmid knows what she'll miss most about her job: the kids.
"Just seeing the changes in them," she said. "How they grew physically, emotionally. Just watching their growth in all aspects was kind of fun."
After 32 years, Schmid is retiring from her position as preschool director at Union Avenue United Methodist Church.
A Sebring native, Schmid started her role at Union Avenue in 1989. From the beginning, she enjoyed having the ability to make an impact in children's lives and prepare them for kindergarten.
She began her mornings by greeting the students and welcoming them into the school. Parents weren't able to enter the building this year because of the pandemic, so Schmid and other staff members helped the students take off their coats and place them in their cubbies.