There aren’t many students who realize the hard work, and dedication that goes into being a police officer at LVA. The lives of us as students rest in the hands of these amazing individuals. Their minds are way different than ours: whereas students are in a rush to see their friends and not be tardy to class, these officers are wondering why you are late, and are on the lookout when it comes to protecting us and being aware of our surroundings.

We got the chance to interview a student about Officer Robles, and then we interviewed her as well. Ethan Tighe, a junior at LVA, was asked what three words describe this person. Ethan’s response was “friendly, outgoing, and protective.” He also said, “She makes it feel safer at the school and more inviting for students to come.”

When we went to interview Officer Robles, we came to her office at the bottom of Main. She was very welcoming and open to our questions. We got to know about her childhood, and what she has become today. One question we asked her was, what’s one thing you wish students knew about you? “One thing I wish they knew about me, I guess I wish they knew how much younger I am than the rest of the police officers they’ve probably dealt with.” She then began talking about how the dynamic has changed. “I’m new age. We are trained differently”, she further explained how police officers will get in trouble now if they talk and act like they used to back then, and she emphasized how it is very different now.

When asked what made Officer Robles stand out the most Tighe responded, “She risks her life every day to protect the students at this school.” We most certainly agree with this statement. Officer Robles stated, “So I’m Mexican, and I grew up with immigrant parents that didn’t have any papers. Then growing up I had my papers, so I was fortunate enough for that.” Officer Robles grew up scared and always anticipated what was going to happen next. She began to realize that people don’t understand. She would hear people say, “We’re not ICE. We’re just here to help you,” and that made her realize she wanted to make a change. “We are here to help regardless of who has called,” she says.

One last question we just had to know about Officer Robles is what her hidden talents are. She insisted she didn’t want to display it, but then shared that she is a pretty good singer. “I did choir in sixth grade and stuff like that and then played violin after that. I would have come to this school, I really would have, if I had the guts, but I’m really shy.”

We are thankful for everything Officer Robles does to protect our campus, and the dedication she shows through her hard work. We are grateful we got to know her a little bit more and that she opened up to us.