Every afternoon at three o’clock, a young student walks beside Kitchen Staff Member Ms. Ana Delgadillo, chatting with her as she heads to catch her bus. “I wanna come tomorrow to say bye to you,” he said.

After 25 years of hard work and dedication, Ms. Delgadillo retired from her position as a kitchen staff member at Bishop’s. Ms. Delgadillo is a familiar face to all students, faculty, and staff around campus. Whether she was handing out lunch, placing trays in the salad bar, organizing coffee for early-morning meetings, or working diligently in the kitchen, she did it all with a warm smile and unwavering devotion to serving the community. 

Ms. Delgadillo’s close friend, Director of Bookstore and Faculty Substitutes Ms. Erin Saldaña, said, “When I got to work at six o’clock every morning, she was already working.  And whenever I needed help, she just dropped what she was doing and came to help me, or showed me where things were, and went right back to her work.” Isaac Smedra (‘29) added, “She made the cafeteria feel like a warming place where everyone belonged.”

Before coming to Bishop’s, Ms. Delgadillo gained extensive working experience through various jobs. At 17 years old, she worked at a potato and carrot factory in Bakersfield, California, spending her days farming in the fields. She moved to San Diego when she got married at 21 and spent four years working as a nanny to the children of a naval officer. She later took on a similar role nannying for the children of Ms. Sara Sweet, the former Director of Kitchen Services, who retired two years ago. 

Thus, when Bishop’s was in need of extra help in the kitchen 25 years ago, Ms. Delgadillo already had connections to the School through Ms. Sweet. Her husband, Mr. Antonio Delgadillo, had also worked at Bishop’s for 14 years before she joined, making it a familiar and welcoming place for her to start a new chapter of her career. 

Soon after Ms. Delgadillo joined Bishop’s, the kitchen went through a huge renovation. Despite having to face a massive transition, Ms. Delgadillo worked even harder to support the school. Ms. Delgadillo explained that she and her co-workers prepared food in trailers where the current tennis courts are. At lunchtime, students walked to the tennis court area, where there was a big circus tent.

Ms. Delgadillo’s eyes glistened as she reflected further upon how Bishop’s has changed since she joined, and explained, “Before, everything was very fancy. The moms brought Christmas tea. Where the nurse’s office is, there was a big room where they served it in real ceramic cups and plates.” She added that her husband was a baker, and would hand out “so many kinds of cookies.” In the past, her husband freshly made food for the snack bar, including eggs with ham, banana bread, and huge cookies. “Now, they buy the pastry from outside,” she explained. 

Before the kitchen renovation, the bookstore was above the kitchen, and the dishwashers were where the current bathrooms are. Ms. Delgadillo served students their meals through a small window, the lunch line curving in a long arc around the old counter.

While the kitchen, snack bar, and student body have all changed since the first day Ms. Delgadillo stepped into the school, one thing has not changed: her love for the Bishop’s community.”  The people that you see every day are like a part of your family,” Ms. Delgadillo said. “And when you move somewhere, you’re missing the people the most. I will miss my friends, the students… all the kids have been so nice to me.”

The Bishop’s community was Ms. Delgadillo’s favorite part of her job, and it isn’t hard to tell from her caring nature. As Ms. Delgadillo’s closest friend, Kitchen Staff Member Ms. Criselle Williams, explained, “ When I first started working with her,  we became friends right away. She became my best friend and my sister. She was so nice to me. Ms. Williams said, “She’ll make me food in the morning. She’s very caring, and she’s really a very sweet person.”

Ms. Saldaña agreed, and added, “She brought me treats throughout the year, just because she thought I was helpful to her.” Ms. Saldaña explained that years ago,  every grade would have a color in the snack bar, and  they would go in, mark what they took, and throw it in a bin. Part of her job was to sort them and enter them into a spreadsheet so that she could charge their accounts. Ms. Delgadillo was a part of that process, she explained, and “She was always so happy and helpful. She’s just always upbeat. Oh, I’m just going to miss the camaraderie.” 

Whether Ms. Delgadillo was sharing pictures of her children and grandchildren with her co-workers, or doing anything she could to assist students, she always brought warmth and kindness to those around her. The Bishop’s community will truly miss her comforting presence in the kitchen every day.