Becca Jolly

Media Center Specialist Jillian Thomas waves goodbye to the library she’s called home for the last four years. Thomas resigned after changes were announced for the district’s library position.

This week HCP said goodbye to our library media specialist, Jillian Thomas.  

Thomas has been a huge asset to the HCP community and has made so many impacts in the 4 years she has been at the school. 

At Harding, Thomas is the library media specialist, and she has taught a few classes such as study skills, Senior Capstone and Reading for Pleasure. She has also been the sponsor for many clubs, including Student Council, Senior and Junior class officers, and the Navigators.  

One of the things Thomas is best known for at Harding is her creativity that goes into her library book displays.  

The displays are always elaborate, fun and colorful. Sometimes there are fun challenges going on too.  

“I just find random materials around the school and think to myself ‘What can I make out of this?’,” she said.  

Thomas recalled her favorite display she made last year. She had used cardboard boxes donated from a teacher and created a display called “Reading Builds”. 

This display demonstrated the good reading does for students. She explained that it helps build empathy, comprehension, and vocabulary skills. 

“I have always been a creative person and I love doing creative things,” Thomas said.  

During 2020, she had a lot of free time because students were learning remotely. The school had just switched locations and the new building looked sad and boring.  

Thomas decided to change that. She collaborated with parents and other teachers to put enticing displays around the school. 

“I spent a lot of time on a ladder that year.” 

In the four years Thomas has been at Harding she has made so many memories.  

She said her favorite memory with the school was last year’s graduation. The senior class voted for her to read names during the ceremony. She said the whole experience was very touching for her.  

“Being able to be on the stage with the kids I have known for years was truly an honor,” she said. “I’ll remember that forever.” 

With Thomas’s last day being this Friday, she says she is going to miss the closeness that comes with working at HCP. She loves the fact that she gets to see students throughout all four years of their Highschool experience.  

“Freshman for example spend so much time with me while waiting for their rides; the library is like a safe space for them,” she said.  

 Now, Thomas is moving in a new direction in her career. She is going to be an Instructional Designer at the University of Oklahoma. She is going to help the faculty become better teachers and help them with technology.  

Harding wishes her the best of luck. As students, we will forever and always hold onto the memories that Thomas has left with us.