Edina High School’s new security guard Ronald “Banks” Jenkins has quickly become the staff member that several students know and love. Whether found “dapping up” students in the halls or leading pull-ups in the Wellness Center, Jenkins is always engaged with the student body. “He relates more to the student body and has a more open personality, so people can just talk to him,” senior Rose Davis said.
Previously, Jenkins (whom everyone refers to as “Banks” at EHS) worked at Orono High School for almost a year and a half, which had a student body only a third of the size of EHS. Jenkins knew that adjusting to a bigger school would come with some challenges, but it was a pursuit he was ready to take on.
Upon his arrival at EHS, Jenkins said he was the most impressed by the tight-knit community, the passion and diligence exhibited by students, the friendliness of the faculty, and the school spirit. “[The Edina District] love[s] their sports [and] they love their school. They do a great job at coming together and kind of building a great facility for kids to learn,” he said.
As a part of his job, Jenkins monitors the halls to ensure students get to their classes, but he also uses this time to get to know students. “He always say[s] hi to me and create[s] a very welcoming environment,” Davis said. Jenkins mentioned that one of his main goals as a security guard is to connect with students. With this goal, Jenkins hopes students will think of security guards in a new light. “I want them to know that I’m here to protect them, not always just to tell them to go to class and do this. [Security guards] are here more [as a] support guide for students, versus trying to be a policing system,” he said.
By executing these goals, Jenkins has become a standout staff member to some students. “Since I’ve been at the high school, a lot of the security guards haven’t talked to me, or they don’t interact with the students as much, and so it’s good to have someone who interacts with the students for sure,” senior Olivia Ballinger said. Both Ballinger and Davis also described him as approachable and extroverted. “I talked to him at a football game once, just because me and my friends went up to him and he was just super nice as like we were just joking around, and I thought it was nice that we could joke around with the security guard,” Ballinger said.
In addition to his other responsibilities, Jenkins also chose to take on traffic control at EHS. After observing hundreds of students sprint to their cars when the bell sounds every day, Jenkins knew that his role could be exigent. However, Jenkins stuck with it throughout the difficulties and now even enjoys it periodically. “It definitely can be tough sometimes when people are screaming at you, but it’s also nice getting the waves and the nods saying I’m doing a good job,” he said.
In the future, Jenkins hopes to become an athletic director, as he took on his role at EHS with that near-future goal in mind. “Troy Stein [helped] me get a full-time job in the school for me to help out with athletics and to my resume to become an athletic director,” he said. Jenkins also has several years of soccer coaching experience with Nexus Sports Performance, P3 Specialized Sports Performance, and Pura Vida Elite.
All in all, the connections Jenkins has made with other people at Edina have made his experience truly special. “It does seem like everyone here [spends] a lot of time with each other, so [it’s] kind of like your second home,” he said.
This piece was originally published in Zephyrus’ print edition on Dec. 19, 2024
