“¡Hola, buenos días! Have a great day, everybody,” is a phrase that every Parker student is familiar with hearing. It immediately puts a smile on every student’s face — even at 8 a.m. on a Monday morning in the middle of winter. The laughter that accompanies it is contagious, and passerbys can’t help but wave as you hear the voices of children calling back, “¡hola, Rosy!”

Security Officer Rosemary Abad, known by many students as “Ro” is one of a few people who people see at the front desk when they enter the school. She has been a security officer at Parker since July 2014. Before that, Abad was the Housekeeping Supervisor for Parker, and when a security guard position opened up, she decided to apply. “After so many people applied, they picked me since I’m bilingual and they needed someone to speak Spanish,” she said.

The typical day for Abad goes from 6 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. “I love waking up early and starting my day with a positive attitude,” she said. During her day, Abad watches video footage from the various cameras set up in and around the school and uses a portable radio to communicate with fellow security guards. Sahid Mohamad, a Parker security guard of 14 years, gave insight into some other daily tasks. “My job as a security officer involves doing foot patrols,” as well as “working in liaison with local authorities to maintain a safe learning environment inside campus and the perimeters,” Mohamad said.

Security guards play a key role in keeping the school protected and running. In regards to being a security guard, “We are the first people everyone sees. We have to be cautious that no bad person comes into the school,” Abad said.  One of the many security measures that she takes to ensure a safe community is scanning the IDs of adults who are coming into the school to make sure they are not a threat to Parker. “We have to scan their ID to make sure they’re good people, and no sex offenders come into school,” Abad said. 

“Having security in the building makes me feel safe because it’s not as likely that someone’s going to get into the building who’s not supposed to,” an anonymous Parker seventh grader said.

Abad has not only contributed to Parker her talent as a security guard but also her kindness and enthusiasm. “My favorite thing about Rose is her positive attitude and outgoing personality,” Mohamad said. As the first person that you see when you enter the school, she sets the tone for the experience that you’ll have within it. Abad is clear, “Our job as security is making you guys feel every day is normal.”