By Sally Rong, Staff Writer
Backbones of keeping our school environment safe and peaceful, it isn’t every day you get to interact more with our school’s deans and security guards as they are on the line 24/7 ensuring the school is safe and running. Here is some information about the deans and security officers that you may not know about.
Ms. Morgan, Counselor
How long have you worked here?
This is my 10th year working as a Dean in Galileo.
What made you want to work at a dean’s office?
I started as a social studies teacher back in 1998 and the principal asked me to be her senior counselor. I then worked on a master’s degree in counseling while working as a school counselor. I decided I wanted to work with students who are struggling the most in high school so I decided to become a Dean. As a Dean, I am able to spend my entire day working to help those students who are having behavioral issues that are getting in the way of their success.
How is it like working at a dean’s office?
Working in a Dean’s office can be challenging at times when we have several incidents that come in at one time. But in the end, the work is always rewarding. It is especially rewarding when you help students resolve conflicts they are having with other students and to help students make better choices.
Has there been anything interesting about working in a dean’s office?
In the dean’s office, we have to conduct investigations on the incidents we handle. Investigations can take us down many interesting twists and turns before we arrive at a conclusion on exactly what happened. This process is always interesting and rewarding.
Mr. Cappels, Counselor
How long have you worked here?
This is my second school year.
What made you want to work at a dean’s office?
I was a high school counselor at Lowell for a couple of years and I was prepared to be a counselor for a good long time. An Administrator at Galileo said that they needed a new dean and thought that I would be a good fit. And I figured it was a good idea to take that opportunity. And that’s how I became a dean.
How is it like working at a dean’s office?
It’s exciting because you never know what’s going to happen, I get emails and phone calls from teachers, I get radio calls from security and so every day is a new adventure.
Has there been anything interesting about working in a dean’s office?
Yes, lots of interesting that happened but I usually deal with very sensitive topics like discipline and so on. It’s all interesting but it’s not very fun stuff because usually when I’m working, cause I do discipline. It means kids are getting into trouble so it’s interesting but it’s never really fun.
Jacky L., Security Guard
How long are you a security guard at Galileo?
14 years
What is your patrol route?
The front gate
What is the most interesting thing about your job?
Not interesting, it’s always boring but you need to do it.
What’s the hardest/most difficult thing about patrolling at Galileo?
Not difficult while patrolling if nothing happens.
What do you enjoy working with high school students?
I want to talk with them, they’re nice to me and I enjoy that.
Jimmy L., Security Guard
How long are you a security guard at Galileo?
I’ve been here since 1997.
What is your patrol route?
I don’t have a patrol route but it’s usually where it’s the noisest. But usually, the third floor is the busiest so I try to go to the third floor more often. The boy’s bathrooms are really busy so I tried to watch the bathrooms.
What is the most interesting thing about your job?
Just the different types of kids that we have here, different personalities so it’s fun to talk to them and find out about their background.
What’s the hardest/most difficult thing about patrolling at Galileo?
I think because Galileo has so many doors, it’s hard to watch every door to keep outsiders out.
What do you enjoy working with high school students?
Their personality, see where their background is, and see how they develop as a freshman and how they grow up as a senior.
Manny E., Security Guard
How long are you a security guard at Galileo?
What is your patrol route?
This is my first year.
The fourth floor, to make sure both floors are cleaned up and nobody is out of class.
What is the most interesting thing about your job?
It is dealing with students, especially my football players, the ones out of class. Trying to help them, getting their grades up, stuff like that.
What’s the hardest/most difficult thing about patrolling at Galileo?
Dealing with students who mainly don’t listen, or those who don’t want to go to class, or have a smart mouth
What do you enjoy working with high school students?
Just helping them become a better person as a whole.
Nick N., Security Guard
How long are you a security guard at Galileo?
This would be my third year.
What is your patrol route?
Usually, I’m on the third floor, I go just around the building and in the morning from 8 to 9 am. I’m at the football parking lot watching the gate.
What is the most interesting thing about your job?
The conversations I have with students, trying to help them traverse this space that we are in.
What’s the hardest/most difficult thing about patrolling at Galileo?
The kids, it’s the personality, everybody has a different personality so some are harder to deal with while so are easier to deal with. So it’s dealing with that, the difficult personality.
What do you enjoy working with high school students?
Yes, I do because I graduated class of 98 from Galileo so I am just like a lot of these students are here so getting from point A to point Z, I have kind of a couple of few tricks to help you with to get better with.
Orann C., Security Guard
How long are you a security guard at Galileo?
I have been here a year as of the 14th of this month.
What is your patrol route?
I patrol the second floor so that’s the main office, the counseling office, and all between.
What is the most interesting thing about your job?
That I’m more than a security guard, I’m more like a guidance counselor, uncle, brother, and therapist to some.
What’s the hardest/most difficult thing about patrolling at Galileo?
Getting the kids to class that don’t want to go and I can’t make them go so I just have to hope that when I say “hey go to class” that they are going to class.
What do you enjoy working with high school students?
Helping the kids. I really like that I wear multiple hats like I said earlier. Big brother, security, sometimes maintenance man, uncle, role model so I wear a lot of hats, therapist so I’m glad that I could help the kids other than keeping them safe. I could give them life advice.
Mika’le M., Security Guard
How long are you a security guard at Galileo?
This is my sixth year, been here since 2017, and many many more to go.
What is your patrol route?
I’m assigned to the first floor, basement, which is the cafeteria, wellness center, JROTC area, sometimes the courtyard but when I’m not on the first floor, I usually just walk more on the second and first floor.
What is the most interesting thing about your job?
The different personalities I’ve come across, different backgrounds, different viewpoints, different opinions, just interesting things people talk about.
What’s the hardest/most difficult thing about patrolling at Galileo?
The most difficult thing about patrolling Galileo is when I do see the same students around all day and they’re still walking around. I’ve tried to get them to their counselor, to the deans, and see what’s going on.
What do you enjoy working with high school students?
I love it all. I’ve been a student before, I’ve been a teenager before, so I understand having, whether it’s a teacher, a security guard, a principal, whatever it may be, I know it’s important to have some good, positive people in your life. So I like to help the new generation glow.
