Danny Moreno, one of the newest guards, assists in the protection of the student’s safety, roaming the halls of C building every day. Each security guard is in charge of a particular building to ensure that the entire school is covered. With each assignment comes different jobs that establish equal protection throughout the campus.

Moreno mentions how prior to working as a security guard for Perry, “[he] worked in the prisons in the state of Arizona… for a little over 20 years.” After retiring from the prisons, Moreno moved on to work as a security guard for Campo Verde High School for a year before transferring to Perry the year after that. Moreno, if given the chance to have a different job than the one he has currently, “would maybe be a flight attendant” claiming, “I’d get to travel around a lot for free. That would be kind of fun.” 

Recently, Moreno handed out candy to the students in the hallways. Moreno tells of a story from his previous job. “I was at another school last year, and it was free breakfast and free lunch, and I was walking down the hallway one day and I saw this student sitting in the hallway and I wondered, go get your breakfast, cause you’re gonna need it throughout the day. And I happened to have some mini muffins in my cargo pockets. So I gave him the mini muffins because I wanted him to have something to get his brain working, and it just kind of went from there.” Since then, Moreno tries to hand out something to the students every week.  

When new to any location, be it a school or a job, it can be nerve wracking trying to fit in. Moreno displays a sense of belonging after only a few weeks of getting accustomed to the dynamics of Perry High School. When the students pass by, Moreno makes conversation with the kids saying how he “[wants] everyone to know they’re safe, and security is not here just to beat them up…I love talking to them about their sports, and their future, where they want to go to school…it’s a lot of fun.” Moreno engages with the students that builds a bond to gain mutual respect.

Moreno expressed, “Don’t vandalize the bathrooms! Please! Those are the only toilets you guys get. You really need those. I’m serious. I want to get that message out to you guys.” He emphasizes the severity of the vandalism, while simultaneously providing a reason to students that may find humor in the property destruction. 

Roaming the halls is the visible ‘job’ that the security guards are given, yet Moreno claims that all his duties are not obvious to the public, highlighting the order of his assignment, as well as the enjoyment and gratification he obtains through his interactions with the students. “I didn’t realize how fun it was gonna be with the students… I thought that they were going to hate me. I have an absolute blast with the students”. Moreno expresses his happiness the students bring him, highlighting the positivity he himself shares throughout campus.