BEDFORD, Va. – Celebrations continue during the coronavirus pandemic, but they may look a little different than normal.
On Wednesday, Liberty High School and Bedford County Public Schools honored one of their longest-serving secretaries via video chat.
Liberty High School principal Shawn Trosper knew since last summer they’d be honoring Wanda Goff, but things changed.
“The recent closings with the governor have made it pretty challenging but we were determined to make a way,” Trosper said.
They were so determined the staff gathered more than 60 people in a web conference, and created a special video just to tell Goff thank you and congratulations.
“Happy. Surprised. Totally surprised,” Goff said.
After graduating from Liberty High, on April 1, 1970, Goff was hired as the school secretary.
“I thought I would be here maybe two, three years and moved on, and I stayed,” Goff said.
She stayed for 50 years, now seeing new generations walk through the building.
“The ones I’m seeing now I can remember their parents, their grandparents even,” Goff said.
“She is just invaluable. (She) has as a wealth of knowledge and she’s talented. She’s respectful. She’s just so loved and respected by staff here,” Trosper said.
It’s not official yet that Goff is retiring.
It’s certainly a decision she's fought with in the past and may still struggle with today.
“I’ll miss everybody when I go and to me, it’s been a short 50 years,” Goff said.