Perhaps, before the sun climbs past the shadow of the science building, you’ve walked through to see the students from special education classes congregated with their aids. Their innocent, untethered laughter echoes down the reverberating halls and seeps through the walls of neighboring classrooms. 

One way or another, you’ve most likely walked straight past them on your way to the bathroom or back to class; you probably don’t know their names either. There are, however, people that do know their names, people on campus who share their laughs and match their energy every day.

Our campus security guards, a crew that has grown by three since the start of the school year, has consistently held strong ties to those students and their strong enthusiasm around campus. 

Never more so, however, than this past Friday; all seven security guards entered the D116 classroom along with Principal Diana Yarboi, Assistant Principals Yvette Taylor and Patricia Durham, and several school board members for their special presentation. 

After a brief introduction from 11-year member Dave “Bubbles” Buchanan, they allowed special education teachers to open a gift containing a locked metal box. 

Inside this metal box? 10 refurbished iPads, connected to charger ports and available for any whim the kids may have.

“I like to watch [videos],” Melody Medina (11) said, one of two enthusiastic students that agreed to speak with me. 

The other, Hayden Ackerman (11), shared his own excitement over the new technology introduced to the classroom; he communicated through assistive technology that he’s most looking forward to doing “money practice,” where he allows himself to practice real-life situations that pertain to making purchases, a skill he’s sure to improve on with the aid of new technology.

When asked about how she feels the security guard represents the school, all Principal Diana Yarboi could say was, “I’m humbled and thankful for having a culture at Ayala that represents family, that we are all one big happy family.”

That big happy family, seen around school and appreciated as such, didn’t have to think too hard about their decision to give back.

Bubbles, as he’s referred to, gave the backstory behind the decision, having given an assistive aid an old iPad and the issue that arose from that, and the resulting outcome from their thought process as a team.

“[A student] set it up and he put everything in Chinese, including the password, so [the special education teacher] couldn’t get it open when he gave it back,” Bubbles said. “So I found out from [her] and she told me, so I was like, ‘Well, let me you know what, maybe I can help her out and get her another one.’”

He continued. 

“So then one turned into five and five turned into 10. There was a company that had them, they were refurbished. They said, ‘Yeah, they would like to help out.’ So that’s how all this started,” he said. 

Another affectionate student favorite shared his own experience and how he’s able to get through his day better from the bonds he’s created.

“Every day, we come into work and we have our special needs department just greeting us,” security guard Jonathan Reyes said. He also said that the decision to brighten up their day was an easy one considering the part these students play in their daily routine.

Perhaps this is easily understood from guards that have been here for several years, but the same can’t be assumed for the three new guards introduced to Ayala campus life this year. 

Oh, perhaps it can be. 

“They’re kind of like the least that kids talk to, and least kids that are getting things offered to them because they’re just in their own little world,” guard Jason Wiley said. “And we always felt like they were in a kind of a special group of our schools. That’s why they’re called special needs. Giving to them is better than giving to the kids that have everything.”

This culture of giving back and embracing every part of the school is a byproduct of the culture created between the guards themselves, a crew that Bubbles describes as the best team he’s worked with in the 11 years that he’s been at Ayala. The team always appears to have a vibrant and pleasant energy that has allowed them to come together and give iPads to the side of the school that undeservedly receives less attention than others. 

“They have gone over and beyond the call of duty, and they just put the kids first,” Yarboi said. “So again, it’s all about kids coming first, and then faculty and staff.”