Nourishing Minds and Building Connections at Plum Senior High School
HOLLY LAMBERT:
Nourishing Minds and Building Connections at Plum Senior High School
For ten years, Holly Lambert has arrived at Plum Senior High School’ s cafeteria not simply to prepare meals, but to be a steadying, welcoming presence for the students who pass through each day. As Cook Manager, Lambert oversees the daily rhythm of the kitchen while making time for the personal moments that matter most— a kind word, a listening ear, or finding just the right meal for a student who needs a little extra care.“ What I enjoy most about my job is interacting with the students,” Lambert shares.“ I really value those daily connections and being a positive part of their day.” Her philosophy extends beyond the serving line: she makes a genuine effort to guide students, listen to them, and always treat them with respect, understanding that the cafeteria can be one of the brightest parts of a student’ s school experience.
Good nutrition is integral to student success. Ensuring students are well-fed and ready to learn is foundational to everything that happens in the classroom. Of course, some days that mission comes with a side of excitement.“ Wings are one of my favorites to serve because the students get excited about them,” Lambert notes. Outside of school, she dedicates her time to her 9-year-old son and 7-year-old daughter, and volunteers with the Renton Volunteer Fire Department, supporting fundraising events and activities for local firefighters.
It is perhaps no surprise that someone who serves her community so broadly also brings that same generous spirit to work each day. Food Service Director Jessica Griggle reflects,“ After ten years of serving smiles and meals in our district, Holly’ s become the heartbeat of the cafeteria— reliable, kind and always ready to find a special meal for a student having a rough day. Holly is the steady hand that keeps the entire kitchen running smoothly and we couldn’ t do it without her!” Lambert is exactly the kind of dedicated professional that makes the Plum Borough School District a place where students don’ t just learn, they thrive.
MEET ALUMNUS JOE ALTIERI
Since his days at Plum Senior High School, entrepreneur Joe Altieri has always been a hard-working hustler. While growing an innovative solution into big business, he has infused his career with the resilience and perseverance learned at PSHS.
Of his younger years in Plum, Altieri says,“ The time I spent with my grandfather on his farm taught me the value of hard work and responsibility. As a teenager, I was always finding ways to earn a few dollars— mowing lawns, selling flowers, taking on odd jobs.” Altieri was involved in wrestling, band, and working at his father’ s and grandfather’ s businesses while at PSHS. He also credits meeting“ the love of my life, Alisha McElhinney, a fellow Plum Senior High School alum who would later become my wife, the mother of our four children, and the grandmother of our growing crew of seven grandchildren.”
After graduating in 1993, Altieri attended Penn State and ultimately thrived working in the window industry. Finding his customers regularly disappointed in standard window screens, he channeled his“ pure frustration!” into innovation.“ I decided to take to my garage and work on something new myself,” he says.“ The initial goal was simply to make a durable window screen that people wouldn’ t hate, but I ended up with something people actually loved.” His new product, FlexScreen, even won over Lori Greiner on ABC’ s Shark Tank. As founder of FlexScreen, now merged with RiteScreen, Altieri oversees sales and marketing as Chief Officer of Strategic Partnerships.“ It’ s incredibly rewarding to see something that started in my garage grow into an industry disruptor that’ s created jobs and meaningful careers for so many people.”
He encourages Plum students with a simple philosophy:“ The life you want will come at great cost, but not pursuing it will cost you more. Don’ t shy away from the hard stuff.”
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