Custodian at Lebanon High wants kids to feel welcome

‘I was raised in a foster home,’ she says.

Brenda Kimberlain has a heart for students and strives to make them feel welcome every time they step through the doors at Lebanon High School.

The LHS custodian grew up in Queens, N.Y., and graduated from Jamaica High School, once the largest high school in the country.

“I was raised in a foster home,” she said. “That led to my love of children and my desire to make them always feel welcome and loved.”

That passion is evident in her work for the district.

The Today’s Pulse found more about Kimberlain:

Q: Can you share a little about your background?

A: Before leaving New York, I worked for Benjamin Moore and Company on Fifth Avenue.

I have been married to Dennis Kimberlain for 38 years. I have three children — Jermaine, deceased, Janelle Campbell, 39, Dennis II, 36 — and eight grandchildren.

Q: Why did you want to work for Lebanon City Schools?

A: I decided to work for Lebanon City Schools, because I have a passion for children, especially high-school-aged children.

Q: What do you enjoy most about your job?

A: What I like best about what I do at Lebanon High School is my involvement with the students on a daily basis - always getting a laugh or a smile from them. I also enjoy the friendship and family atmosphere of co-workers at LHS.

Q: What are some of your hobbies?

A: In my free time, I enjoy reading and walking and spending time with my family, especially my grandchildren!

Q: What is something people may not know about you?

A: My church in Queens was celebrating one of their anniversaries; my uncle was the minister. He invited other ministers from the New York area, as well as Atlanta, Ga., where he grew up.

One of the ministers happened to be Martin Luther King Sr. He brought Martin Jr. with him. He was just a young minister then, and all of the kids, including me, were glad to meet them both. At that time, we had no idea how important he would be in the future.

Contact this contributing writer at lisa.knodel@gmail.com.

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