Miss Alta, as she is fondly known on the College campus, began working in the laundry department in 1976. She eventually became head of the laundry and housekeeping department and ran a tight ship there until she semi-retired in 2011. She continued another decade part-time managing the school gyms, a role she had been filling since 2007.

As gym manager, Ms. Sheldon oversaw equipment and uniforms for the teams and was always ready with kind words, encouragement and candy for the students and coaches who stopped by her office in the Amaron Gym. Efficient and organized and with an exacting attention to detail, Ms. Sheldon made everyone’s lives easier and brighter.

Ms. Sheldon’s contributions went beyond equipment management, however. Basketball coach Eryn Hessian recalled the time that her bantam team made the local newspaper. So that all the players could have a copy, Miss Alta and her sister scoured the town to buy up enough copies for all.

In recognition of her dedication, the College will be naming the Amaron equipment room “Miss Alta’s Sports Store.”

"Your efficiency, expertise and excellence, your dedication, commitment, reliability and your loyalty should be and are both an example and an inspiration to all of us," said of Head of School Michael Wolfe. "I hope that we haven’t taken you for granted over the years, but I suspect that it has been hard to avoid that because you came to work every day, did your job so much professionalism, to the utmost of your abilities without complaint and always with a good word for others and a 'how can I help' approach."

Friday morning, students and staff gathered to wish Ms. Sheldon a happy retirement, surprising her with their presence and applause outside the gym. Students presented her with chocolates and a flower basket. Former students, teachers and current students sent video messages of thanks and congratulations, viewable on the College’s YouTube channel.