“I’ve loved every day I’ve been here at SPA,” US Assistant Annie Harness said with a nostalgic smile. After 17 years at St. Paul Academy and Summit School, Annie Harness will be retiring Jan. 13.

Harness will miss many things about the Upper School, but what will she miss most? 

“Oh the students, without a doubt. The students and the faculty. This has been a real family for me. A beautiful family,” she said.

Harness vividly remembers her first day at SPA.

“I walked in, and there was an atmosphere [that] just said good things are happening here,” she said.

Her first week on the job, she saw students doing homework in the hallway rather than messing around like her previous experience at public school. Harness stated that she truly believes SPA is “doing school right.”

After her retirement, her plan is to do nothing really structured for about a year.

“You know, do a little reading, a little sleeping, maybe get a little travel in,” she said.

This time off is well-deserved as Harness has worked hard to make SPA a better place. When asked what the hardest part of her job is, she answered, “tracking attendance because there’s so many variables.” Every time a student forgets to sign in after a missed check in, which happens every day, it creates a lot of work for  Harness.

Harness will be leaving attendance in the hands of Aja Parham, who is moving into the role after starting as the College Counseling Assistant this fall. Harness’ advice to Parham is to “keep smiling and deal with each person that walks in the door … because [they] have needs.”

The students and faculty will miss Harness’ smile and hard work ethic. Her retirement reception will be held in the Summit Center after school today.