Project Pride Coordinator Retires

Carol Fidani ended her 17-year career in the Moorpark Unified School District last week. Fidani, a Moorpark resident of roughly 20 years, began working for the district when her husband suggested she get a part time job.

"I started working in the kitchen at Flory two hours a day. My husband never specified how many hours I should work," said Fidani.

Soon after that, Fidani applied to work at the Moorpark High School kitchen for more hours. However, when the employers saw her resume, they offered her a distinctly different job.

"They saw that I was bilingual, and offered me the bilingual aide position instead of the kitchen position," said Fidani. "I did that for six years when the opportunity arose to work as the cooridinator for the after school tutoring program, Project Pride."

Fidani thought it was the perfect program to be launched at the high school. The problem was that it had previously been run out of a portable classroom at Flory.

"I made my pitch to those in charge that I'd be happy to take it on, but only under the condition that it was at the high school," said Fidani. "I saw such a need. A lot of kids couldn't just go home and ask for help; They wouldn't get it."

The district made a deal with Fidani; she would work five and a half hours a day and share the job with another person. Fidani would be located at the high school, and the other person would be at Flory.

As they say, the rest is history.

"I loved working in the district. When I worked in the kitchen, the women were a lot of fun. I really enjoyed the tutoring too. There was also a lot of gratification in being able to really help students, even though I never was credentialed as a teacher."

Fidani said that the years she and her family have lived in Moorpark have been relatively bump-free, except of course for the rattlesnake fiasco . . . Fidani, now 57, was bitten in her home.

"I was bitten by a baby rattlesnake in my living room. It somehow got into the house and bit my right foot, near the pinkie toe,” she said, calling herself lucky as far as rattlesnake bites go.

“Not only did it bite me at the furthest part of my body from my heart, but my husband, a paramedic firefighter, was also around so I was able to get help right away," she said.

Fidani recently had a new, more pleasantly exciting event take place in her life. She became a grandmother for the first time three weeks ago.

"I'm looking forward to not planning much and enjoying things like that from day to day," Fidani said. "My husband and I might do some traveling, maybe take some small excursions."

 Fidani can also focus on the things she truly loves to do.

"My husband and I love to entertain and have barbeques with lots of people over. I also really enjoy cooking, so maybe I'll even be able to take a gourmet cooking class now," she said.

For Fidani, retirement is a time to reevaluate her life and health and really enjoy the plan that's been laid out for her.

"I believe that my life is just taking the path it's supposed to, and I just don't know what's coming next. But, it is coming, and I'm looking forward to the experiences that lie ahead."