Typically found greeting staff and students in the front office behind her desk, Maritza Bernal recently joined Walnut High School as the new attendance clerk.
Bernal officially moved to Walnut High on Nov. 5, 2024. She previously worked as the attendance clerk at Diamond Bar High School for four and a half years before requesting a transfer to Walnut High..
As she adjusts to Walnut’s new system and culture, Bernal has noticed minor differences between the two schools and how they oversee the attendance duties.
“[For Walnut High], we have to call out the students to locate [them] and see why they were absent. [At Diamond Bar], we wouldn’t have much contact with the students other than them coming into the attendance office to either sign in late or sign out for an appointment,” Bernal said. “[It’s challenging] trying to locate the students. [However], I get to greet everyone and [interact with] students, staff and parents. Here, there’s more connection with the students.”
Bernal has been in the education field for 10 years. She worked at a non-public special education school as the director’s administrative assistant for six years before switching to the position of attendance clerk. In her new journey with the Mustangs, Bernal will manage attendance-related affairs and assist students and parents with similar issues. She values the social aspects of her job and finds joy in what she does.
“I decided on the position of attendance clerk because I am able to interact with everyone,” Bernal said. “Customer service is a very important part of my job, and I enjoy helping everyone.’’
In her free time, Bernal enjoys arts and crafts with her two kids that attend middle school and elementary school in the Walnut Valley Unified School District. She also likes having gatherings with friends and spending quality time with her family. Bernal hopes to successfully master the attendance system at Walnut High and looks forward to communicating with various people through her position.
“I’m still in the adjusting phase,” Bernal said. “However, [Walnut High has] been a great environment. I’m learning something new [every day].”
