Longtime Alterra Elementary crossing guard reflects on 25 years of service

Pam Horton, a crossing guard at Alterra Elementary, said her favorite part of the job is interacting with students and that she has worked as a crossing guard for 25 years.

Horton said the children make the work worthwhile. "It's gotta be the children. The children are the high point of this job," she said. "I get to meet so many of them, and it's just fun, especially first thing in the morning. They have so much to tell me because they're excited to get to class. And when school is over, they wanna tell me about their day and the things that they did."

Horton described how she first took the position after seeing a notice at the school and being inspired by someone who already worked as a crossing guard. "I had worked with someone who was a crossing guard. She was telling me how fun it was to meet the kids and all of that, and so it sounded like something I'd enjoy doing. I saw a wanted post over at the school that they wanted crossing guards, and so I applied and got the job. The hard part is just believing that that was 25 years ago," she said.

She said students sometimes remember their crossing guards years later, and she finds that rewarding. "But it's rewarding to have kids come back and say, you crossed me when I was in first grade. That's just a great part that they still remember their crossing guard from elementary school. After 25 years, I think we're gonna keep you. Oh. Yeah," Horton said.

Horton acknowledged the role's time demands but said the community recognition and the opportunity to start students' days positively make it worthwhile. "It is a time commitment. You know, it breaks into your day, but it's so worth it, in my opinion, to be able to spend some time here with the children. It's always been my philosophy that if I can start their day off with a smile and a hello and I care about you, then that makes me feel fulfillment in my job," she said. "I'm honored to be a part of the community, to have people recognize me, to just thank me for keeping their children safe. That means a lot to me. That's why I'm here. My name is Pam Horton, and I'm a crossing guard at Alterra Elementary."

These remarks were a personal reflection on the role; no formal board action or policy change was recorded in the transcript.