Photo by Sedi Agyeman/The Choate News
Last week, Choate students across campus created and signed Thank-You Cards, withheartfelt drawings and notes, to demonstrate their appreciation for SAGE, ABM, and Community Safety workers and reciprocate their generosity. Fourth-form President, Ava Maha ’23, said, “The Student Council is continuously working to appreciate and celebrate the selflessness and kindness exhibited by SAGE, ABM, Community Safety, and Health Center community members.” These cards are part of an initiative to give back to these employees. Michael Gutierrez ’22 said, “It’s important for us to show how grateful we are because the SAGE, Comm Safety, and ABM staff truly do a lot for us”
American Building Maintenance (ABM) Industries has worked with the Choate community for the last 40 years. Since the beginning, the company’s primary role has included cleaning dormitories, bathrooms, and classrooms, and performing administrative work to ensure campus operations run smoothly. Although many ABM staff work in the after-hours, they make Choate’s special events, decorations, and recycling programs possible.
When asked about the best part of working at Choate, Mr. John Bjorkdahl, who has worked at Choate for 30 years and is currently the Director of Operations for ABM, said, “What’s not to like? It’s a beautiful campus with a great group of students, faculty, and staff.” Outside of his office, Mr. Bjorkdahl coaches intramural basketball, where he loves to interact with Choate students.
The Choate Community Safety team has been around even longer than ABM; their presence can be traced back to as far as 50 years ago. While they are maybe most known for holding up stop signs during rush-hours and escortor escorting students to the Health Center, Community Safety does far more for the Choate community. They inspect school facilities, watch the campus when students are away, and patrol the grounds day and night to keep Choate secure. The staff also works closely with the local Fire and Police Departments; they organize drills that prepare community members for emergencies and investigate safety issues and incidents.
In addition, the impact that they have on campus is evident in the small things they do, such as teaching CPR classes, jump-starting vehicles, and giving a friendly wave when helping students cross the street. Tenzin Bista ’23 said, “Community Safety plays a critical role in making me feel safer on campus.”
Jonathan Zhuo ’23 agreed. “They are a very important part of our school, and the campus would not be the same without them,” he said.
Another integral part of the Choate community are SAGE staff members. SAGE was first introduced to the community seven years ago, replacing Aramark, the food service company that was with Choate for about 40 years When the new Covid-19 guidelines called for drastic changes, SAGE had to overhaul its buffet-style serving structure. Throughout the various quarantine periods, SAGE employees have successfully delivered a selection of foods for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even an evening snack. Without their help, students’ return to campus would not have been possible. Facilitating a smooth transition from quarantine to the Orange (Moderate Risk) Alert Level, SAGE has adapted to the new protocols by offering contactless serving, disposable flatware, and grocery services for faculty families.
Besides its main operations in the Dining Hall, SAGE also has a catering division that supplies food to gatherings hosted outside of regular dining hall hours, including activities held by the Committee on Student Activities (COSA) and form events. Various religious events on campus, such as the Passover Seder a few weeks ago, would not be possible without the diligence of the SAGE team. Nathaniel Rogers ’23 said, “It genuinely feels like the staff members really want to help support faculty and students, not just in their respective campus roles, but as people.”
SAGE’s Catering Manager Ms. Kelly Groth ’90 said, “I want the school community to know how much the entire SAGE staff truly cares about the students, faculty, and staff. We understand that we are their home-away-from-home kitchen, and we take that responsibility very seriously.”
Ms. Groth began working at Choate in 2017. Her responsibilities include planning and organizing catering for events. Ms. Groth and the SAGE team work to design and prepare menus, themes, décor, and food. “Our goal is always to exceed expectations,” said Ms. Groth.
In speaking of his time at Choate, Mr. Bjorkdahl said, “I would like to thank the Choate community for letting us serve you for so many years. You have treated us with respect and have accepted us as part of your community, which makes our job easier to come to work every day.”
Similarly, Ms. Groth said to Choate’s students, “I’d like to say thank you. You are a truly wonderful group of people, and I really enjoy working with you all.”
