Unsung Heroes: Mrs. Becker
Photo submitted by Mrs. Becker.
Sienna Kenney
Mrs. Lanell Becker is not only the Administrative Assistant of Activities & Athletics for Hamilton High School; she is a dependable and hardworking member of our staff who does an unimaginable amount of work behind the scenes to keep our school running. Mrs. Becker has been in the district since 2013. She has worked with students, parents, teachers, and coaches to help clubs, classes, sports, and all other activities run smoothly. Even though Mrs. Becker is kind, helpful, and extremely resourceful, not many individuals understand the importance of her position. Everyone loves her and is very grateful for her efforts, which can easily be seen through the kind words and detailed quotes from our fellow Hamilton Staff.
Administration
Superintendent Dr. Paul Mielke shared: “Mrs. Becker ensures that our daily school activities run smoothly. From handling registrations for sports and clubs to organizing supplies and scheduling event staff, she keeps everything running smoothly. Thanks to her, students get to experience the activities that they are passionate about."
Athletics & Activities Director Michael Gosz wrote: “Mrs. Becker is an integral part of Hamilton High School’s day-to-day activities—especially when it pertains to athletics and activities. Coaches and advisers rely on her to perform many activities behind the scenes to make not only their programs successful, but also their events. Without her involvement, the students of Hamilton High School would not experience what they currently experience. Mrs. Becker is an asset to the athletic and activities department and without her, our day-to-day operations would struggle. Hamilton High School is very fortunate to have someone who is dedicated and loyal to the students, staff, and school."
Coaches
Head football coach Justin Gumm mentioned: “Lanell always has a smile on her face and never blinks when asked to handle a task. She has helped our program [football] with so many things!”
Mr. Heckman, the head golf coach, shared: “Mrs. Becker is the fuel that keeps the athletic department running, especially the Golf Program. She does so much work behind the scenes and helps coaches out more than anyone knows. The amount of paperwork and organization that she does is overwhelming. Thank you, Lanell!!!”
Girls cross country coach Mr. Groth mentioned: “As a teacher and coach, I could not imagine doing my job without Lanell's help. She always has the answer to my athletics and financial questions. I'll be totally honest—I'd be lost without her!”
Club Advisors
Mrs. Winters, a leader of Best Buddies, shared: “Mrs. Becker is an unsung hero here at HHS. Many times for Best Buddies we come up with a great idea but with limited time to make it happen. She always will help us order what we need, make sure it can arrive in time, and does it all with a smile.”
Ms. Dederich, who runs Rock Climbing Club, wrote: “As a relatively new teacher and brand new advisor trying to re-start up a dormant club, I had A LOT of questions. Lanell was so patient with assisting me to make sure everything would run smoothly with waivers, club funds, and promotions. I don't think I would be able to run Rock Climbing Club the way I do without her help. We are so lucky to have Lanell on our side!”
The leader of Hamilton DECA, Mrs. Fields, shared: “Lanell goes above and beyond. Every. Single. Day. She has gone out of her way to help me more times than I can count. Every spring, I need a shorter-than-average turnaround to get a check to pay for our International DECA competition, and she always makes sure that I have it in time. Her impact is so widespread and is one of the reasons so many of our clubs, athletics, and programs are as successful as they are.”
Mrs. Hinytz, who has helped with Charger Robotics, wrote: “Mrs. Becker has been an incredible asset to our staff as well as our athletics and activities. As a staff member, I have relied on Mrs. Becker's help with the acquisition of supplies, processing paperwork, answering my "dumb" questions with patience, and her font of knowledge. As a former advisor for Charger Robotics, the amount of paperwork, invoices, money, supplies, and communications that she handled is hard to quantify...Her understanding of our unique program and its quirks in addition to her problem-solving and speedy skills have been essential to our success. She's always at the ready to help and her dry and wry sense of humor helps cut through some stressful situations. She's steadfast, reliable, and often an unsung hero.”
Mr. Tennessen, both a Hamilton Tennis coach and head of French Club here at Hamilton, mentioned: “In the domains of sports, clubs, and academics, Lanell has assisted me with literally hundreds of tasks over the years. I am truly grateful for the assistance and owe her a great deal in return. She is always aware of the most efficient way to complete the task at hand and will walk you through it when necessary, which for me is pretty often. I am certain that, either directly or indirectly, everyone at Hamilton benefits from her expertise. She is a crucial part of our Hamilton team.”
Mrs. Wainio of Sunshine Club and Club Action shared: “Our school clubs owe a lot to Mrs. Becker. She is always willing to accommodate all of our fundraisers for Sunshine Club and Club Action and further helps to allocate all of our funds to the most needed places correctly.”
Mrs. Feudner, former class advisor and head of the Spanish National Honor Society, said: “Lanell has been amazing to work with during the years. When I was the advisor for the classes of 2017 and 2021, she was great at helping with ticket sales, ordering decorations, and ideas about how to do things better. Prom would not have been as great without all of her help. In addition, she made sure that I had honor cords for my seniors last year for Spanish NHS when I forgot to get my order in on time. Lanell never gets frustrated with any coach or advisor even though we ask a ton of questions over and over again about getting reimbursed or how much is in our account. She has the patience of a saint.”
Hamilton's own librarian and National Honor Society advisor, Mrs. Gorski, shared: “I turn to Mrs. Becker again and again to help process fees for the National Honor Society and order any number of things for our club—from certificates for the NHS Induction to member t-shirts and graduation stoles. She also helps us order all of the birthday card supplies, the KwikTrip car wash fundraiser, process the Food Drive check for Sussex Outreach, order food for the HHS Caring Closet, and so much more. She is super detail-oriented, efficient, and always happy to help with all our many NHS requests! I am so grateful for her help!”
The advisor for the brand new National Art Honor Society, Ms. Strelow, wrote: “Lanell has been extremely helpful from my beginnings at Hamilton! She has been easy to communicate with and approachable, which set me up for success in a new school without any other department members. She is awesome at getting orders in and helping our department always have what we need. She also helped us book buses (which I had never done before) to the airport for our trip this summer and price-shopped those suckers for us! Thanks for all you do, Lanell!”
Mrs. Kowalske, the advisor of Charger Press, shared: “Mrs. Becker is the heartbeat of Hamilton. She's behind every club, sport, and activity here, making sure that things run smoothly and that everyone is on the same page. Every year, our district asks parents and community members to name staff members who make a difference; Mrs. Becker gets more shout-outs from the community than almost any other staff member here. She's not just efficient at her job; she genuinely helps people and makes Hamilton a better place. We're so lucky to have her here!”
Mrs. Plamann of the Drama department said: “Mrs. Becker is always a HUGE help to our clubs. She is always on top of things and makes sure we have everything we need on time in order to run our shows and activities! We could not do it without her!”
Finally, Mrs. Draeger, former advisor of Student Council, states: “I have worked with Lanell as an advisor for the entire time she has been at Hamilton. She is one of the most helpful people! Whether she was working with me about Homecoming or dealing with class-specific dances, she is always willing to help find a way to make things happen even when I would forget deadlines! One piece of advice I would give anyone who needs to turn in money to Lanell for whatever reason...make sure it is in order by denomination and all facing the same direction!”
So, to Mrs. Becker, our clearly beloved and cherished Administrative Assistant of Activities & Athletics, we appreciate everything you do whether it be noticed or not. Your efforts never go to waste in the eyes of Hamilton staff and students who appreciate your commitment and true talent for helping Hamilton High School run smoothly. A simple thank you is not enough to recognize your impact so hopefully these quotes can.
