08/15/2026
The First Hello: Donna Sartor
People come through the Atlanta Elementary School office for all kinds of reasons. Some need an answer. Others have a problem to solve. Donna Sartor wants each of them to leave knowing someone listened.
"I want people to feel heard and seen," Donna said. "I want them to know I'm listening, I understand, and I'm going to do what I can to help."
That willingness to help often means going wherever she's needed.
After 22 years with Atlanta ISD, Donna has collected plenty of memories and filled plenty of roles. Today, as the receptionist at AES, that often means doing whatever the day requires.
"There's more to it than just answering the phone and checking kids out," she said. "We wear many different hats up here. All of us do."
On any given day, that might mean opening a car door, finding a Band-Aid, decorating for an event or stepping in somewhere else on campus.
"Just whatever needs to be done," Donna said. "I'm happy to do it."
It's the people, though, who have made those years meaningful.
"What I enjoy most is the people I work with and the kids," Donna said. "They're what make this such a great place."
After more than two decades with the district, choosing a favorite memory isn't easy.
"There are so many," she said. "Twenty-two years is a lot of memories to have, and it's hard to pick one specific."
But some memories have stayed with her for reasons that reach far beyond the school day.
Eleven years ago, Donna was diagnosed with breast cancer. As she went through treatment, her coworkers made sure she didn't have to face it alone.
"This place is amazing," she said. "I could not have made it without the people who work with me. I couldn't have done it."
Donna remembers having to leave in the afternoons for treatment. Each time, Ms. Carter stepped in.
"She never complained. Never said a word," Donna said. "She came right up here and said, 'I got you.'"
More than a decade later, those three words still capture what Donna values about the people around her and the kind of care she tries to extend to others.
"They helped me through so much, and I just love everybody I work with," she said. "It's a wonderful place."