With a smile, High School Guidance Counselor Secretary Candice Garutti is always there to help. According to Garutti, “every day is different.” Still, one may see her working in the front office in the mornings, helping the guidance counselors, or answering students’ questions throughout the day.
Garutti was born in Massachusetts and moved to Florida 15 years ago. Holding a degree in Sports and Health Nutrition, Garutti once worked as Pine View’s Food and Nutrition Manager. In between her times at Pine View, Garutti worked in the Publix bakery before realizing she wanted to return to Pine View. Seven years later, she’s back — this time in a new role.
“I came back to work as a secretary just because I like the school department, I like being around kids. And guidance is a place where I can kind of help out if needed,” Garutti said.
One of Garutti’s favorite things about being the guidance secretary is helping students. As a mother to two sons and one recent high school graduate, Garutti especially likes aiding students in the college application process and understanding the student perspective.
As the High School Guidance Counselor, Allen Regar works closely with Garutti and notes that her experience with her sons has made interactions with Pine View students feel “natural” and having her on staff has “been a wonderful experience.”
“She has a wonderful personality in terms of how she’s able to get along with just about everybody here, which is a great asset to have,” Regar said. “She felt very comfortable from the first day, which I think was a special thing.”
Outside of Pine View, Garutti loves to garden, cook, and volunteer for Sarasota Crew. As a returning staff member to Pine View, she is glad to be back and is working on “something new every day.”
“The best thing about Pine View is it feels like a family. I worked at other schools, and I like that Pine View feels like a family. That’s kind of why I like being back here,” Garutti said.