Behind the digital signs on campus, the administrative phone system, and most prominently the school’s front desk, is Kate Zolikoff, the main point of communication for Saint Ignatius High School.
Zolikoff is the Information Coordinator at Saint Ignatius, a position she has held for the past six years. Her son Michael graduated in 2012 and her son Nicholas ’18 was about to start school when her husband saw the job posting at the school.
Her background in customer service and marketing for the Cleveland Health Museum led her to apply, and she was hired as a member of the Technology Department.
“Kate had the perfect skill set. She was an English major, had fantastic customer service skills, and experience in creating a weekly parish bulletin,” says Vice President and Chief Information Officer Milena Streen.
The school was just starting to install digital signage and was looking for someone not only to be the content creator for the platform but also a main entry point for visitors on campus.
In her daily responsibilities, Zolikoff manages the front desk, oversees the phone system, works with budgets, and creates the content seen on the 13 digital signs around campus.
“Creating the signage is a creative outlet for me,” Zolikoff says. “I like the idea of keeping tabs on what’s going on in the school.”
Streen says, “In my mind, she created the gold standard of what our digital signage system should look like aesthetically, how the content listed should serve and support our school community, and how currency of information is essential.”
The school is looking to add five more signs for a total of 18. “She is always creating and adding information and she keeps up with all of the extra work,” Streen says. “Her technical knowledge has increased exponentially.”
Zolikoff enjoys the other aspects of her job as well, “It’s as interesting to meet people who attended school years ago as it is to meet a ‘Wildcat for a Day’,” she says about working at the front desk. “We take care of people who come in the door.”
For Zolikoff, the school is a positive work environment and she particularly enjoyed working while Nicholas was a student. “It was nice to have that time together, even if we didn’t see each other; just knowing we were in the school together,” she says.
When Michael was in eighth grade and looking at high schools, Zolikoff says her stepmother met Rev. Robert J. Welsh, S.J. ’54, former president of Saint Ignatius High School, who mentioned that Michael should apply.
“That led us to being a family at Saint Ignatius,” Zolikoff says. “As a stay-at-home mom I didn’t think it was possible, but now I try to give back every day to say thank you for that.”