As she was assisted into the conference room of the Excelsior High School last Friday, Lena Cover’s eyes lit up and her smile got broader as she recognised a few familiar faces.

After scrutinising the place for several seconds, she stated “The place look good eeh?”  That was a welcoming remark for those inside the room as Cover, who celebrated her 100th birthday on Friday, was all about cleanliness during her tenure as an ancillary staff supervisor.   The centenarian was honoured by Excelsior High, not only for her birthday, but also for her years of dedication to the learning facility.

"She was 80 years old when she left here and she was still stepping and talking with command. People move whenever she talked and she was like the 'one don'. Mr Cover worked her for close to 20 years and she was one that was full of grace and was a mother to a lot of staff and even the students. She was the go-to person," said the school's bursar Kisha Bailey.