One of Derry's longest-serving servants in education will say "a tearful goodbye" next week as she begins retirement.
Martine Mulhern, principal of St Cecilia's College in the Creggan area, will end her career after 34 years of service to pupils and staff since 1988.
Ms Mulhern graduated in Belfast in the 1980s, teaching a number of subjects such as Drama, Technology and Religious Studies.
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However, it was teaching young people Chemistry and general science that was Martine's real passion.
Ms Mulhern was appointed as a teacher of St Mary's College three decades ago before being appointed as vice-principal for the last five years of her tenure there.
In 2012, she was then appointed as principal of St Cecilia's College, a job she said was "the best in the world".
Speaking to MyDerry , Ms Mulhern spoke about her "greatest passion" and how she guided herself through her calling over the years.
"I don't know how to be anything else but a teacher," Martine said. "I've been involved in this profession for over three decades and I don't know how to be anything else than Ms Mulhern the teacher.
"I always wanted to teach from a very young age. I don't know why that was but I always felt a lure toward helping others. Even when I was at school myself I would've helped out as much as I could.
"This was definitely my passion from the get-go. I loved the sense of community of teaching young girls from Creggan, it was so joyful and rewarding every day. The girls at the school are so wonderful and talented and can offer so much to the world.
"I loved the fact that I'm not from Creggan but I feel like I've been adopted into that community. They've helped me so much and they've been there for me right throughout my career.
"I always felt part of the St Mary's family and St Cecilia's family but bigger than that was that I felt part of the Creggan family. That's one of the many things that I will miss the most about my job."
Martine was born in Belfast but she moved to Derry in 1970, and although spending much of her life in the city, she admitted that her Belfast mum "would kill her" if she said she was a Derry Girl.
"I was born in Belfast in the 1960s," Martine said. "So, I am a bit of a blow-in, as they call it.
"My mother loves Derry but she always says that I am from Belfast and she would kill me if I said otherwise," the Derry principal laughed.
"But Derry has been so good to me and it's where my own children grew up, we love this place.
"And because I moved here so young, I didn't have any family that was from the city so it meant that I was more dependent on the community than most. I lived with my mother, father and three sisters and that was us, that was our family in Derry.
"The school community that I grew up in throughout my education became my extended family and they were amazing."
The 55-year-old said she will be "broken-hearted" at leaving her time in education behind her to focus on family life.
"I am being called tiny tears at the minute because all I am doing whenever the students come to me with a parting gift is have a wee cry," Martine continued.
"I'll be cried out by next week but I feel like it's the right time for me. My family has sacrificed so much for me all of their lives and I want to give back to them.
"It's time for me to step up now and I want to be able to see my mammy and my own family. My children are all grown up now and I want to be able to help them like my mammy helped me."
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