Faculty Spotlight: Bechard, Edsell juggle responsibilities as faces of West
When new students and West visitors struggle, like Theseus, to unravel the maze of hallways, the door monitors stand ready to provide solutions to the labyrinthian corridors. Standing watch as Wildcat sentinels, Kathyrn Bechard and Louis Edsell provide both guidance and security to students and staff alike.
Facing a daunting range of responsibilities, the door monitors are tasked with balancing many duties.
“It's people in and out, seniors with open hours, some visitors, managing lunch flow,” Door 24 monitor Edsell said.
However, there are many cogs in the machine left unnoticed by the general population, revealing more than meets the eye.
“I do the slides for the monitors, I do any extra jobs they need me to do, and take care of the food pantry food that comes in, like the granola bars and fruit,” Door 38 monitor Bechard said. “I try to keep kids as safe as I can in the hallways.”
Edsell’s ambition to help was originally fueled by the influence the school played for his family.
“I’m retired, so this is just a job I took so that I can stay busy,” he said. “I have two older daughters who graduated from West, and I have an adopted son who goes here now. I have a lot to do with the sports teams; my kids have all benefited from going through it.”
In fact, Edsell views his work as more than just a job, but also a chance to create connections with students.
“I saw it as an opportunity to give back, talk to kids when they come in,” he said. “I just try to establish a relationship with them, make them feel good about coming to school.”
However, Edsell’s bond does not come without any effort. Through enough time and small talk, he has managed to form strong connections with pupils that frequent Door 24.
“I try to establish relationships with the kids that wouldn’t even look at you when you first say ‘Hello’ to them at the beginning of the year,” he said. “Now, I stopped and had about a half-hour conversation with someone right around the holidays. It’s just about getting them to open up and interact a little bit.”
Spontaneous complexities can be frequent for both.
“There’s a lot of people signing in and out, there’s always unplanned events that take place,” Edsell said. “You just kind of have to take a deep breath and get through them, not a big deal.”
Bechard thrives amongst the chaos.
“The busier the better,” she said.
Overcoming any obstacles that may arise near the entrances comes easy to Bechard.
“I know my job pretty well, and I know the students pretty well, that always helps,” she said.
For Edsell, the solution to dealing with these issues lies within his extroverted personality.
“I’m a people person, I try to greet everyone with a ‘Hey, how are you doing?’ that sort of thing,” he said. “The more that I know about them, I’ll interject that into personal conversations with them when I get the chance.”
This job has allowed Edsell to meet countless new people.
“I probably know 200 more kids now than when I started,” he said.
Bechard appreciates the gratitude she receives from some of the students.
“The number of students who send me notes, chats, and emails thanking me for supporting them throughout their time here,” she said. “That’s been really meaningful that they took that time to do that.”
At the end of the day, Edsell’s goal is to be an outlet for students whenever they need one.
“I’m here to talk to you guys as just an adult,” he said. “My job isn’t so much to enforce the rules, even though it is a small part of it, but it’s more along the lines of getting kids to feel comfortable, make school fun.”
by Addi Isely and Evan Parfitt
Published April 24, 2023
Oshkosh West Index Volume 119 Issue VII