What is your role at STA?
Well, the big role is to protect you guys. That is our number-one, more than anything, but we do a lot of other things on the side. You know, I try to make sure your cars are safe, we handle fobs and security to the entrances and the exits of games and things like that. Anytime there’s an event, I have to provide security or be one of the security people there. I’m checking parking. Overall, it’s just the security of the campus and all the girls on it and the faculty and staff.
How long have you been here and why did you decide to come?
Well, it was September the 18th, [2018], I had just retired from the police department. The other security person that works here, he’s named Robert [Wynne], was hired first and then they needed another part-time person and he called me up. We used to work in a tactical unit in the police department together years ago, and that’s how we’ve always been. Been friends since the 90s. But I retired from the police department after 30 years and I just needed a part time job.
What was your job before coming to STA?
I worked 30 years in the police department. I started off as a regular officer. Then I went into drugs and worked in a drug tactical unit. And then I went from there to a SWAT team. I did investigations for half of my career in the police department and then when it was getting close to retirement, this job came up just through Robert. It was a perfect fit for me. The people here are great, the kids are great; I just really lucked out to get here.
Do you have a favorite memory or funny story since you started working here?
Are you kidding me? I’ve had cars where the wheels came off in the parking lot. One girl I had, she thought she’d lost her phone. And so she pinged it and it was pinging outside off the campus. So I went off the campus looking for a phone. But I went like four blocks. I walked all the way over there and she had given me her password. And I was trying to find it. I was pinging the phone everywhere I went. And I’m like, “it shows it’s right on this block. it should be somewhere [the phone] on the ground.” I thought someone took it or something like that. So I was about to knock on doors, people’s doors, asking them if they had found a phone. And by the time I got back to campus, some teacher said “someone keeps pinging this phone; it keeps pinging loudly.” She [the student] had it just in the classroom but it was sending me blocks away.
Do you enjoy the all-girls environment? Why?
I have some [daughters] myself. You guys can be difficult at times. But actually, I mean, the girls here are great. good work ethic. I mean, some of them are trying to get away with things. But all in all, it’s just good. And all the girls are nice and friendly. When I first left the police department, it was difficult because I thought I missed a lot about that. You know, it’s hard to transition from being something you felt important to, to coming in here and just being like a security guard, but it is important. The girls were all nice to me. I can come across [as] intimidating. So the first few years no one really knew me and as time went on, I think like the last class [class of 2023] was a class I came in with, who’ve known me since they were freshmen. So then you guys [class of 2024] were right behind them. So anyway, it’s good. I really enjoy the school. It’s a lot of good people that work here too.
