On Friday Guam said goodbye to one of its most beloved and dedicated public servants as Rob Malay, a caring educator, worked his last day in DOE.

He can usually be seen roaming school campuses or getting hundreds of elementary school children to scream they're going to college. But Malay wasn't always the deputy superintendent of the Department of Education. He started his career as a teacher two decades ago. "It's been a wonderful 22 years here on Guam," he said, humbly.

Friday marked his final day of service, as he will soon begin a new chapter as a superintendent of the school administrative unit in New Hampshire, a state with one of the top ranked school systems in the nation. "Being selected for the new position is reflective of the good things that are happening in our department right now," he shared. "We've got a fantastic school system! We've got wonderful kids, and we've got a wonderful superintendent who is steering the ship in the right direction."

When reflecting on his time as an educator, Malay said the rewards have always outweighed the challenges. One memory that stands out in particular dates back to when he was principal of Machanaonao Elementary. The school bus never turned up to pick up 40 waiting students. The students then had to decide to either go home or walk to school.

"And they chose to walk to school," he recalled. "So that meant that we were doing something really well at the school that they wanted to come to school, and walked the two miles to get there, so that was probably my fondest memory."

He added, "What I'm going to miss most will be the people of Guam. The people of Guam are great, they are second to none in the entire world."

However his three boys - Daniel, Lucas, and Nathan - will miss more than just the people. Daniel said, "The school and the sun", Lucas said, "School, and my parents and my teachers," and Nathan added, "The beach, the sun, my friends, my teachers, the school."

Malay admitted, "It's going to be a very difficult time for us to leave because Guam is what we know. It's our home."

The Guam Legislature presented Resolution 113 to Malay, congratulating him on his retirement, as well as to "further extend a warm and sincere un dangkolo na si yu'os ma'ase for his dedication, commitment, and exemplary service to the people of Guam and the Department of Education."

DOE superintendent Jon Fernandez said, "I've valued above all his loyalty, and it's not loyalty to me, but loyalty to the students that he serves. We will miss the work that he's put in, but we know that New Hampshire will gain a superintendent who is dedicated and committed. We wish him all the best."