Palo Alto High School’s registrar, Suzanne Brown, or Suzie Brown as she is known, plays a key role in the college application process that almost every senior experiences.

Brown’s job requires enormous responsibility and scrupulous attention to detail. The mailing of the transcript package is one of the most important steps in the procedures students follow when they apply to colleges of their choice. A student’s academic future could be at stake if the registrar were to make a mistake. Brown recognizes this necessity: "It’s important to make sure that the transcripts are completely accurate before submitting them to colleges and universities." Brown is proud that she is the first person people see in the application process.

The job involves much more than just mailing transcripts. The registrar also has the job of enrolling students who move to Paly from other schools. This task has the additional requirements of talking to the registrars of the other respective schools to get transcript information, grades, immunization records and test scores.

Sometimes the process of transferring students even involves talking to schools in foreign countries. This work involves researching credit values, course and grading equivalents, and often requires correspondence with parents. Brown can also send e-mails anywhere in the world to get the students’ course list and grades, as well as translations.

Throughout her day, Brown has the responsibility of giving both unofficial and official transcripts to the staff and people who need them. Brown also must process discounted automobile insurance forms, social security benefit forms and community service hours.

Prior to being a registrar as part of the Paly administration in August, 1999, Brown taught as a special education aide in the district for almost 2 years at Addison and Juana Briones elementary schools. "I’ve really loved working with kids of all ages."

Before her career in Palo Alto, Brown had taught elementary, middle and high school English and physical education in Southern California and Hong Kong. Following her six years of teaching, TWA (Trans World Airlines) hired Brown as a flight attendant for five years. “It was my life’s dream to travel around the world,” she said about her trip around the world while at TWA, “and this let me do it.”

“It’s a pleasure to get to know as many Paly students as I can,” Brown said. “I often wish there were more hours in a day to attend their various activities from sports to music to the theater. I feel that each and every one of our Paly students is special, so I can say that I truly enjoy being a small part of their lives.”