By By ERIN VER BERKMOES / Niles Daily Star
NILES - For almost three decades Harrieot Dean of Niles has been a dedicated volunteer at Brandywine Elementary.
Three to four days a week, Dean makes her way to the school to do her part to help out the staff and students in anyway she can.
Dean became a fixture at the school when she started volunteering as a room parent in the classrooms of her son and daughter while they attended the elementary.
After her children left the elementary school and headed off to junior high and high school, Dean took a break until she joined her own grandchildren, helping their teachers.
While volunteering at the school Dean has done a number of things including, working in sixth grade classrooms and in the school's library.
Dean has also volunteered in Linda Schlundt's second grade classroom, and has become like a grandmother to many of the students.
Another of the tasks Dean has taken on over the past few years is she coordinates the "National Geography Bee" with the help of several other volunteers. "This contest is a great thing for the sixth through eighth grade students. I really enjoy putting it together the questions and helping the students with the process. At the end it's wonderful to see the students have a lot of fun participating in the contest.
When Dean isn't at the school volunteering she enjoys spending time with her friends and family, working around her house, playing cards, and going out for coffee.