09/23/2026
✨ Staff Spotlight & Summer Farewell! ✨
As our summer season came to a close, we asked some of our amazing seasonal staff members—who are moving on to bigger and brighter futures—to share a few words about their time with Lancaster Parks and Recreation.
Today, we are celebrating Marie, a 6-year veteran with our team! Here is her experience at the pools, in her own words:
"Six summers.
It’s hard to believe this chapter has come to an end. I started at the city pools in summer 2021, the first season we reopened after COVID, just after my sophomore year of high school. I started alongside Maria, and six summers later, I’m the last remaining employee from that original team. I walked through those gates as a shy 16-year-old looking for a summer job, never imagining how much this place would shape my life. From my first summer as a regular guard, to Head Guard in Training, to three summers as a Head Guard, and finally Assistant Manager with Maggie, I’ve been so blessed to grow alongside this place.
Somehow, it became so much more than a summer job. It became my summers and the place where I truly grew up. The early mornings, long hot days, guard room laughs, after-hours swims, stressful moments, and countless memories with people who became friends are things I’ll carry with me forever.
When I started, I was just a teenager figuring out life. Now, I’m at Walsh University, graduating this December with my bachelor’s in Special Education and a minor in Theology. I got engaged this past April, and next May I’ll marry my best friend. This job has been there through so many of my biggest milestones, and I’ll always be grateful for that.
To Jen and Maria who invested in me, every coworker who became a friend, and everyone who made these six summers unforgettable, thank you. I’m forever grateful for everything I poured into this place and, even more, everything it gave back to me. Tiki and Miller will always hold a special place in my heart."
Thank you, Marie, for 6 incredible years of dedication, leadership, and hard work! We lovingly say best wishes to Marie for a bright and beautiful future. 💙💦