Eunice Demezier employs a unique method to calculate how long she has worked at The Guild for Human Services.

“When I started at The Guild, my daughter was six months old,” she explains with a laugh, “and now she’s a junior in college.”

It’s entirely fitting that the longtime teaching assistant, who recently celebrated her 20th anniversary with The Guild, uses her own child as a reference point to determine her employment longevity. To Eunice, the students she works with are almost like an extension of her family; she treats each one as if they are one of her own offspring.

“I enjoy helping the kids make progress,” she says. “When I can see that I am making a difference in their lives, I feel so proud.”

Known for her positive outlook, patience, persistence and ever-present smile, Eunice frequently works with the students in teacher Andrew Kilgore’s class, but also assists many students in other classrooms.

Occasionally when students are having a difficult time at school, they look at Eunice and ask why she is smiling back at them. “I say to the student, ‘I’m happy because I’m here with you. I can help you.’ ” she reports. “That makes them feel better.”

Eunice appreciates the collegial working environment at The Guild School. The educators communicate and collaborate frequently about strategies to support the students and advance their skill development. “We work like a team,” she reports. “I feel comfortable with everyone I work with.”

Eunice joined The Guild in 1999 as a youth residential assistant at the suggestion of her sister Vivian, who worked for The Guild at the time. When she started at The Guild, Eunice also attended the highly regarded School of Fashion Design in Boston. She enjoyed her work at the Guild so much that even after earning her degree she chose to remain in the human services field. In 2004, she joined The Guild School staff.

“I felt so attached to these kids that I didn’t want to leave,” she says with a beaming smile. “I really like the work that I do.”