Article written by Ainsley Hall and published in The Journal on July 1, 2026.
Berkeley County Schools celebrated its 2026 retirees on June 24 at Spring Mills High School during its end-of-the-year Recognition and Retirement Ceremony.
This year, BCS had 60 retirees, including both teachers and services personnel, representing 25 different schools throughout the county, as well as the central office and transportation department.
Karen Walling was just one of the retirees recognized. Walling started her career at Berkeley County Schools as a substitute for two years, then, for 11 years, she started working full time as a cook. She stopped working for a while, but when her father’s health started declining about four years ago, Walling started looking for a part-time job to help him. Since Back Creek Valley Elementary School was only a mile away from her house, it was the perfect opportunity, and she started working as the evening custodian.
Walling said that she enjoyed working with her coworkers and she appreciates all the time they’ve spent together. They helped support her as she helped her father and later when she was dealing with her own injury. Most importantly, she loved working with the students.
“Some of the kids created a special place in my heart,” Walling said. “I’ve made so many personal relationships and friends during my time with Berkeley County Schools. But the kids have always been the main reason I’m passionate about what I do.”
Jodi Williams also celebrated her retirement. Williams has worked as a school counselor in Berkeley County for 18 years. She started counseling as an American Corps volunteer helping homeless veterans through the Martinsburg VA Medical Center. She also worked as a paralegal, working in several areas of law. Williams started counseling at Martinsburg High School because she wanted to help kids find their path.
“I wanted to show kids that options are not always linear,” Williams said. “Life is a journey. It’s okay to make mistakes and change their mind.”
She later moved to Opequon Elementary School, but her passion has never changed. It’s always been about working with students and helping them reach their full potential. She’s excited for this new journey and plans to spend more time with her family now that she’s officially retired. She hopes her team knows that she will miss them and to reach out if they ever need anything.
“They are my second family,” Williams said. “I spent all my waking hours with them and they are awesome. I love them and will miss them, and if they need anything just send up the bat signal.”
During the ceremony, all the retirees present were recognized and given a special gift to celebrate this new step in their lives. Superintendent Ryan Saxe congratulated all the retirees and thanked them for their dedication to working with students and making Berkeley County Schools a better place.
“Each of you has shown as unwavering passion for educating and supporting our children and our students of our communities,” Saxe said. “Thank you for your time, your heart and the effort that you’ve given to the Berkeley County public school system.”