After fifteen years of working in schools in South Dekalb, Brenda Bogues decided to come to Chamblee Charter High School.

“I wanted to experience working on the north side of Dekalb county, and I wanted to experience more diversity,” said Bogues.

Bogues, the principal’s professional assistant, is part of the influx of new staff at Chamblee this year. It’s not her first time working in a high school, but she’s accustomed to a much younger pool of students.

“I worked in elementary school for thirteen and half years,” Bogues said. “And I was at Clarkston High School last school year.”

It was the former stint that led to a new hobby: painting and crafts.

“Elementary school teachers have to be very creative and crafty.” said Bogues. “Their classrooms have to pop with color, because it makes it very engaging for little kids. I picked up a lot of creativity working in elementary school.”

Bogues enjoys painting pre-made objects, usually made out of ceramic, as opposed to painting on a canvas.

“I learned how to make a candy dish out of a pot, a planter pot,” she said. “I used to give them as teacher appreciation gifts and put their favorite candies in there.”

Another one of her hobbies is spending time with her family.

“We do family game night,” said Bogues. “My son son was an avid collector of all the different types of monopoly games. […] We play monopoly, we order pizza. And my oldest son knows to make chocolate milkshakes. He makes the best chocolate milkshake in the world. So we make chocolate milkshakes and we eat oreo cookies and we sit around and play monopoly.”

When asked if she had any advice for students, Bogues admitted to having a lot but kept it succinct.

“Stay focused,” said Bogues. “Enjoy life while you still don’t have a lot of responsibilities. And be a leader, and not a follower.”