Librarian honored on 80th birthday

By Joylyn Bukovac

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    SUMNER COUNTY, Tennessee (WSMV) — There was a special celebration of a long time librarian at Westmoreland High School on her 80th birthday. Glenda Akin has worked at WHS for the past 58 years. Several former and current students say she is an inspiration.

“She gets around better than half of our students at 80 years old and I just hope that I can amount to what she is one day,” Presley Futch, WHS student said.

“I am so thankful. I am so blessed. I wouldn’t change a thing about spending these last 58 years at Westmoreland High School. Been the best thing ever,” Akin said.

Glenda Akin has worked in the library at Westmoreland High School for several years. She was working at the school when the current principal Rick Duffer was a WHS student.

“Ms. Akin, she loved the students. She loves the community. She has been involved in 4 generations of students so truthfully with this school, with students and parents and grandparents they are her extended family. She told me, ‘I don’t work a day in my life,” Principal Duffer said.

The high school, plus state and local leaders, surprised Akin with an 80th birthday celebration she says she will never forget.

“I love this school. I love the people I’ve come in contact with and the friends I’ve made through the years and this has been most humbling and I thank you, thank you, thank you,” Akin said what’s keeping her going are all of the students she’s met. “My family is gone now. My parents. I have one sibling and I never married, never had children so this has just been my life and I wasn’t quite ready to go home and sit down and die and I still feel good.”

“I always love coming and seeing Ms. Akin because she’s always so happy. Like I’ve never seen her have a bad day. She is always here to help no matter what it is,” said Rhealee Huffines, WHS student.

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