Swan Song: CCSD Administrative Assistant of the Year Cindy Lundskog Bids Adieu to the District After 20 Years of Service

Winning the 2024-2025 CCSD Administrative Assistant of the Year award is bittersweet for Ridgeline High School. This year’s winner, Cindy Lundskog, is retiring after 20 years in our school district. Colleagues at Ridgeline, where she has worked for nine years, and Mountain Crest, where she spent 11 years, came together to honor her service.

“Cindy takes care of everything at the school, and she takes care of all of us,” Ridgeline Vice Principal DeAnna Stallings reflected. “We are a family, and she has been like a mother to everyone. She’s so warm, so professional, and so good at what she does.”

With characteristic humility, Lundskog credits others with making her job a wonderful place to be. “There is such good energy in our schools,” she said. “There’s always a lot going on, and so many great people work together to create good experiences for our students.”

When Ridgeline High School opened its doors in 2016, Lundskog was among the original staff. Her self-motivated, detail-oriented focus helped pull together a lot of moving pieces. 

“Ridgeline’s opening was a crazy time,” she smiled. “Everyone was always coming and going – wanting to make it a good experience. And so many beautiful things came together to make that happen.”

Lundskog’s face lit up as she described a moment of beauty in the hectic pace of preparing for students to arrive. 

“One day, there was a double rainbow after a storm,” she said. “We were getting ready to open the school, and the parking lot was all wet, but here comes this rainbow. It completely surrounded the school in a bow, and it even reflected in the parking lot. The whole school felt surrounded in light.”

For Lundskog, the rainbow seemed indicative of the whole process. “My favorite thing about my job is seeing all the good that goes on here,” she shared. “It’s amazing – all the energy that people expend for our students to help them have a good, and hopefully even ideal high school experience.”

Lundskog has carried that certainty and hope through the years that have followed. Her warmth and grace have carried those around her.

“We’re all very emotional about Cindy’s retirement,” Stallings tearfully said. “We all started listing all of the things she does, and it was so much! She has never sought attention for herself. She just quietly does her job. But because of what she does, everything else becomes possible.”

Ridgeline teacher Emma “Super” Smith echoed the sentiment in a tribute letter. “Cindy has been more than a trustworthy administrative assistant,” she wrote. “She has been the heart that has kept us running smoothly. Her tireless efforts ensured the high school functioned flawlessly each day. We are deeply grateful for her extraordinary commitment and her unwavering, caring spirit.”

As Lundskog sings her swan song, she reflects on the bright joy she felt in working for the school district for these many years. 

“I feel very grateful for the opportunity I’ve had to be able to interact with so many wonderful people,” she said. “From the faculty and staff to students and parents, there are just so many good people that are part of all of our schools. I have been so happy here because I’ve been able to interact with so many people in such a positive way.”

Lundskog leaves behind a legacy of dedication, kindness, and quiet grace that has touched countless students and colleagues. The district congratulates her on a job well done and wishes her a happy and well-deserved retirement.