DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - In 2018, Ameisha Johnson joined Decatur Public School's Security Team to gain experience to help her land a job as a Decatur Police Officer.
She thought she would stay for a couple of years and move on, but that was not the case.
"I want to stay, because I feel like I'm impacting and helping kids."
Her couple of years have turned into six with Decatur Public Schools, and Johnson has not regretted it. WAND News spent a morning with her at MacArthur High School to better understand her role in the school.
It starts at 7:15 a.m. Johnson will check in with her security team at MacArthur High School before meeting with the school administration. The team goes over their roles and the stations they will be at throughout the day. When students begin to arrive, the security team does security checks and bag checks.
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Then it is checking doors, checking with students, and keeping communication open with teachers and staff throughout the day.
"When it's passing period and that warning bell goes off, we say let's wrap it up, and let's go."
Johnson said, while safety is a top priority, she is also made mentoring a major part of her day. From connecting with students to just smiling at them during passing periods, Johnson told WAND News her role is much deeper than people think. She has worked to build trust with students.
"We are not just here to put that mean face on and holler at the kids. Sometimes, we are really like their big brother or big sister."
While she can be faced with difficult times, Johnson said her biggest reward is seeing students walk across the stage and get their diplomas.
To learn more about the DPS Security Team, click here.
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