Adrian Washington is giving back to the District that guided him in his educational journey. An Apollo High School graduate in 1995, Washington moved to St. Cloud from Minneapolis where his family had been living in a gang neighborhood. He started at North Junior High School.
“Moving to St. Cloud saved my life,” says Washington.
Currently, Washington is a security officer at North where he prides himself on his strong connection to many of the students. His own children along with many other children of former classmates attend North.
Since his time with the District, Washington has learned a lot. It started with being a role model to students. He would speak to at-risk teens and share his story.
“I was the one person that didn’t graduate when I was supposed to, so I want to be an example and mentor to kids,” he explains.
On an average day, Washington checks in with about 30 students.
“I’m one of the first faces they see at school,” describes Washington, “so I greet them with a smile.”
Washington helps students calm down to de-escalate situations. Since he heads up all five lunchtimes at North, he creates incentives for good behavior with treats.
“I try to reward as many kids as possible,” says Washington. “I love it. I’ve really taken a liking to a lot of kids. I’ve received so many letters from kids thanking me for making a difference in their life, that it really helps me as a parent as well. This is the first job that has been so rewarding. Being someone that the kids look up to is priceless.”
When he isn’t making an impact on the lives of kids, his passion is comedy. Washington does stand-up comedy on the side and during the summer months traveling all over sharing his love of laughter. To see any of his upcoming shows visit his Facebook page.
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