2008 Woodie Awards
The Woman Inside the Gloves
Ms. Brenda sweeps through campus with a cheer
Amber McClinton
Issue date: 11/28/07 Section: Feature
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"Good morning girls," the petite woman with glasses and sandy brown hair pulled back into a ponytail would say with a big smile on her face. "Good morning Ms. Brenda," the girls would reply in unison.
"Ms. Brenda," as she is affectionately called by Lincoln students was the housekeeper in Hansberry for many years. She made sure that students had clean showers and mopped floors and diligently cleaned after messy freshmen who had not yet learned to clean after themselves. With such a tedious job, one might think it would be hard to keep a positive attitude. But Ms. Brenda remains positive.
Who is the woman beneath the blue uniform shirt, blue jeans, and gloves?
Brenda K. Aretz was born March 9, 1952, in West Virginia. She, along with her seven brothers and one sister, grew up very poor. Her father was a coal miner and barely made enough money to make ends meet. His work was also dangerous. Her uncles moved to Maryland and encouraged her father to do the same because the pay was better .Finally, she and her family moved to Maryland where her father became a first class painter. She attended Rising Sun School in Maryland, and later attended high school in Oxford.
Despite their financial situation, Ms. Brenda says that God blessed her with a great family. She remembers her mother and father being great parents. Her mother, she says, "is the best mother in the world. She is a prayer warrior and has been a Christian for 35 years." Her father passed away in 1981, but she and her mother remain very close.
Ms. Brenda's daughter Nikki lives in Florida with her son Andrew, 17, and daughter Brittany, 13. Ms. Brenda calls her grandson every morning at 5:00 a.m to tell him that she loves him. She talks to him about his education and tells him to work hard and teaches her young grandson about God's grace and mercy before doling out bible verses for him to read. Her granddaughter is a cheerleader in junior high school.
Family is important to Ms. Brenda, and not just her immediate family, but her Lincoln family as well. "I love working here because of the students. I love my job," she says as she sat on a bench in the band room with a broom close by. "All the students are so sweet to me."
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