In 27 years of working at the Laboratory Schools, Cecilia Mullon has touched every part of the community. From working during a summer with 3- and 4-year-olds to teaching in the lower school to managing standardized tests for the entire school, there’s not much at Lab that Ms. Mullon hasn’t given a magic touch. 

Ms. Mullon, the school assessment coordinator since 2012, will retire at the end of the 2019-20 school year.

While working in the lower school as a fourth grade teacher from 2001 to 2012, Ms. Mullon said she greatly enjoyed creating projects for her students.

“When I leave, I’ll hold onto my Math Magic Nights that I’d hold around Halloween,” Ms. Mullon said. “It would bring families together. The admission ticket was one pumpkin and someone who was 18 years or older, and the groups would count seeds and measure and weigh the pumpkins and do more activities with them.” 

Outside the classroom though, Ms. Mullon appreciated learning from the teachers she worked alongside.

“All of the teachers who held all those helpful workshops and shared all their knowledge was wonderful,” Ms. Mullon said. 

After her time in the lower school, Ms. Mullon moved to the position she holds now. As assessment coordinator, it’s her job to administer, schedule and proctor tests.  For some tests she has to create report cards. To accomplish all this, Ms. Mullon works with teachers across the lower, middle and high schools. 

On top of everything Ms. Mullon managed school-wide, she was also a high school adviser, which kept her in contact with high school students.

“The advisories were fantastic,” Ms. Mullon said. “I mean, it was really great. The kids were just wonderful.” 

Her most recent advisory moved to be with Ms. Housinger this year, for Ms. Mullon didn’t think she could continue to give her advisees the attention and time they deserved. 

Free food runs deep in Lab’s culture, and Ms. Mullon understood that well.

“She always brought snacks for us which we were always so happy about,” Loren Pope, junior, said.

“Even though she was always busy, I really appreciate how much she cared about us,” Cindy Wu, junior, said. “I have a busy schedule too, so I get it. But she always showed she cared.” 

After Ms. Mullon retires from Lab, she plans to move to California, where her son and new-born granddaughter live. 

“My granddaughter was born April 20, and they were teasing that they’d name her ‘Corona,’” she said, referencing the coronavirus that has dominated life for the past few months. 

Once in California, Ms. Mullon hopes to teach math, which is what her master’s degree is in. 

“It’s a huge move and I’m very excited,” she said.

Though Ms. Mullon’s direct interactions with the student body were limited, she was a mastermind behind the scenes at Lab for almost three decades, and she plans to continue to make magic.