If youâve bought your lunch from the Bearden cafeteria in the past 42 years, youâve met Ms. Jewel. Sheâs been there that long, just as long as the schoolâs current building, which was finished in the late 60s. But today sheâs not smiling on her stool at the cash register, because Tuesday, she retired after being diagnosed with breast cancer last week. Thatâs why students were asked to wear pink on Tuesday in a huge sendoff for Beardenâs longest-serving employee. In addition to that, Ms. Jewel Eubanks is also âone of the nicest people Iâve ever met,â according to Mrs. Linda Radcliffe, another longtime faculty member and close friend of Ms. Jewel. âShe is a wonderful, compassionate, woman of great faith; she has loved and been kind and considerate to so many children through 42 years of service; and sheâs going through a difficult time right now,â Mrs. Radcliffe said. âShe begins her chemo this week, and it will be very intense.â So Bearden decided to show its support, not just with Tuesdayâs pink-out, but with gifts, fundraisers, a banner, announcements, and flowers. âOur school secretaries had a wonderful idea to have a pink-out in honor of Jewel,â Mrs. Radcliffe said. âAnd then we started coming up with all these other ideas as well." The Bearden staff collected gifts â books and magazines and anything to help Ms. Jewel during her chemotherapy. They even researched the best foods and drinks for patients, just trying to repay her years of service and kindness. Next came the pink banner that hundreds of students signed Monday and was hung up on the cafeteria wall. While it was being signed, Mrs. Ann Ham took up donations for breast cancer research, which supplemented the money raised by her organization of a Bearden team in last weekendâs Susan G. Komen Foundation Race for the Cure. With help from National Honor Society and DECA, they formed a team of 15 teachers and students. Mrs. Ham has a special reason for all her hard work, too. âI am a survivor,â she said. âIn February of 2012, I will have been breast cancer free for 12 years.â She knows firsthand how important help and support is. "Things like the pink-out and the gifts mean a lot to a person going through this disease," she said. "And you need a lot if you’re going to get better." Finally, one last little thing was done by the staff for Ms. Jewel. âWe got six dozen pink carnations; to show our love.â Mrs. Radcliffe said. But it wasnât just the Bearden staff showing support. Many students, some who never even formally met Ms. Jewel, wore pink Tuesday. Senior Delaney Thomas, for example, rarely buys her lunch from the cafeteria. âBut Iâve experienced breast cancer in my family,â she said. âSo Iâm wearing pink to support her.â Ms. Jewel has left her mark on countless other Bearden students over the decades, though. âWe would always see her at lunch,â junior Noah Wooten said. âShe would always say âHiâ and âHow are you doing?â so it was always really good to her there.â So what does Ms. Jewel think of all this help and attention? âWell you never know it until you need it, but it has really meant the world,â she said on her last day. âThe students, the teachers, my co-workers⦠they all just give me strength. âAnd I feel like I can do it now.â And that is obvious, because Ms. Jewel isnât completely retiring. She plans on coming back by the end of next semester, to work the cash register maybe a few more years. And the students of Bearden look forward to greeting her.