Before the phrases “Gag me with a spoon” and “Valley girl” became a part of American pop culture antiquity, Midge Ladd, tutorial coordinator for Bakersfield College’s Learning Center and current Classified Employee of the Year recipient, was a “Valley girl before there were Valley girls.”

But now she is quite happy to be called the “Tutoring Mom.”

This San Fernando Valley native said she really likes living in Bakersfield with its “small-town feel and its large-town amenities.”

Ladd said she loves working at BC, particularly in the Learning Center, and has been loving it for 18 to 19 years working in a variety of departments.

She especially enjoys working in the Learning Center, the department she has been working in since 2001, because, she said, “The students keep me on my toes, and we have interesting conversations and stories to tell. Sometimes they tell me more than I want to know,” she said with a laugh.

The other department Ladd said she especially enjoyed working in was the Culinary Arts department. Ladd says she had been “bumped” to the Culinary Arts department, but her experience, she says, was very rewarding and pleasant.

“I really enjoyed working with Chef Coyle and his students,” she said.

However, when the opportunity arose to come back to the tutoring center, she grabbed the chance, because, as she said, “tutoring is my first love.”

On receiving her award as Classified Employee of the Year, Ladd said she was “a little surprised, touched, and a little embarrassed.”