An office adorned with Funko Pops is probably the last place you’d ever expect to find a police officer. While you may not recognize her, she is one of the most important people on campus: Northwood’s school resource officer Tanya Ayalde.
Ayalde dedicates her time to serving the people of Irvine through her position at the police department and ensuring student safety both on and off campus. With a total of 18 years on duty under her belt, eight of them spent at Northwood, Ayalde has solidified her place as an active and critical member of Northwood’s community.
“I love interacting with students at Northwood,” Ayalde said. “I try to build a relationship within the community so that if somebody has anything they feel comfortable sharing, they know where they can go.”
Wanting to foster a more uplifting culture at Northwood where everyone feels welcome and comfortable sharing their thoughts and concerns, Ayalde constantly strives to be a friendly face even when her badge and uniform may appear intimidating.
“Officer Ayalde is not scary,” principal Leslie Roach said. “She has a fun personality and a great sense of humor.”
Ayalde hopes that students know that officers do not want to get them in trouble, but rather need to ensure their safety and help them make good choices in the future. Her role is not limited to disciplinary actions when handling cases involving students engaging in criminal activities; she also follows up with students to offer guidance and resources to help them navigate their next few years of high school. While she may need to talk with students in a way that is far from enjoyable, she does so with the student’s best interests at heart.
“Everyone knows I’m strict with certain rules, but that’s because I don’t want any kids to be involved in an accident, to go to jail, to end up homeless or to overdose since that’s the stuff I see all the time,” Ayalde said. “I understand that kids make mistakes, but once you turn 18, it’s a whole different set of rules, so I try to get to kids before that.”
Ayalde encourages students to reach out to counselors, advisors and trusted adults if they require any kind of support and to approach her with questions about safety or well-being.
“Students, parents and officers,” Ayalde said, “we are here to work together because we all have the same goal in the end: make sure the kids make it through high school.”
