![Hosting the SCLA Casptone Mentor Dinner outside allowed for more attendees on September 27, 2021 at Silver Creek. This event would’ve usually been held inside. According to Lauren Kohn, a SCLA 12 teacher, “If we have a higher number of people, as long as we can host the event outside, then that seems to be keeping every[one] safe”.](https://schsnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/sxMAIGbSYGodZkqmrvTi5YWcJ1ssWA08ApkeMLpp-900x675.jpeg)
As students came into school in February they noticed a new face: Officer Madison Zerfas. Officer Zerfas has been filling in for Officer Bonday while he was on leave during February. Officer Zerfas doesn’t have a “home school” where she is assigned, rather she is a floater, going from school to school filling in.
If you're having lunch in the commons, coming to school in the morning or even in need of some guidance, Officer Bonday has been there. During February, Bonday had taken a leave of absence for three weeks. Officer Bonday had been teaching classes on their new report system to the entire police department.
“We are changing our report writing system for our entire agency, and I was the lead instructor,” Officer Bonday said.
Born and raised in Minnesota Officer Zerfas had moved to North Dakota at 18. After graduating from the University of North Dakota, Officer Zerfas immediately went into being an officer, initially working in Fargo. With a total of six years of experience, Officer Zerfas moved to Colorado for the last three years, during January of 2022. Officer Zerfas hadn’t been a full-time School Resource Officer until recently.
“I have been a patrol officer for the last six years,” Officer Zerfas stated. “I just started being a School Resource Officer (SRO) last week, full time.”
Officer Zerfas chose to be an SRO over a patrol officer, even with her extensive experience in the field. Being an SRO comes with many responsibilities that don’t usually fall upon an average patrol officer. The environment of both roles had been vastly different for Officer Zerfas, in comparison to the duties and impact. As an SRO you build these positive relationships with the students that they see consistently. As opposed to the circumstances when a patrol officer shows up.
”When you’re a patrol officer, you’re responding to calls, seeing people maybe once or twice, not building those necessarily meaningful relationships,” Officer Zerfas said. “It doesn’t feel as meaningful to me as being an SRO”
‘My goal as an SRO is to be able to mentor kids,” Officer Zerfas stated. “I’m here to understand, that I can help people move forward and on a better path”
Being an SRO for Officer Zerfas is incredibly important, she wants to make a positive and meaningful impact on youth in need. Through her own struggles, Officer Zerfas had wanted to create change, preventing those from landing in the same place as she was. As a teen Officer Zerfas didn’t feel heard, now she wants to provide what she never received and be there to listen.
“[I] Felt like I wasn't listened to by adults when I kind of tried to speak up,” Officer Zerfas said. “I want to be the officer that kids move on from high school and remember being a positive impact.”
A goal for Officer Zerfas is to create a difference, through her interactions she wants to make a positive change that lasts beyond graduation.
“[I] just want to be someone that can make a difference. For anyone that I interact with,” Officer Zerfas stated.
