Elizabeth Handrahan is a security officer and a Massachusetts local who loves spending time with her two sons and reading. She began working at the high school last January after 22 years of working in a correctional facility as a security guard.

What do you do here?

Pretty much just a lot of de-escalation. A lot of talking to kids, talking their families down a lot. Talking, giving a lot of directions, giving some hugs, here and there. Really just roaming the halls and checking bathrooms and just trying to make sure people are safe all the time. It’s a huge campus, so we’re never where we’re supposed to be at that moment, but we try to get there as fast as we can and just try to be available in here for anybody to talk to us.

What led you to work in security? Did you do anything prior?

I was a correction officer for 22 years in a jail, and I retired. You can retire when you work at those places after 20 years. Because it’s so stressful, I retired. Then I just took a year or two off and was just looking for stuff [to do]. I just happened to see this and I wanted to do something that keeps the same schedule as my kids. I’ve only been here since last January. I did horrible in high school and did not want to go to college, and then, my father just pushed me. He was law enforcement, so he’s like, “If you’re not going to do that, why don’t you try this?” And I liked it.

What was your favorite subject in high school and why?

English. I like to read, I love to read. I don’t know if they still do that in English classes, but I read a lot of books. Not since I retired; I used to read like two books a week. I think I’ve read one in two years. I like murder mysteries.

What is your favorite season? And where’s your favorite place to spend it?

I guess the summer. It used to be fall, but summer anywhere around here, the Cape, Maine and New Hampshire. I like to stay in New England in the summer and just travel around here. I went away with my boys all summer: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and the Cape.