Equipped with her shiny silver whistle and words of encouragement, KISD crossing guard Beth Lofland starts out her day with endless positivity, even in the dreariest of weather. As the students greet her every morning and afternoon, she brightens up each Bearkats’ day and makes them feel safe and secure.

As she stops the onslaught of cars, Lofland offers the passing students motivational words to set up their day for success every morning without fail.

“I try to treat everyone the way I would like to be treated; with kindness and respect,” Lofland said. “Also, God and coffee work their magic [to help] me [stay positive] too!”

Especially on their worst days, students are influenced by Lofland’s kindness.

“[Her words] make me feel like the staff actually cares,” sophomore Anna Laser said. “She always makes me smile and it’s a great way to start my day.” 

After her dad moved in due to Alzheimer’s, Lofland said she knew a full-time job wouldn’t be possible, but she missed working. Never in a million years did she think this job would be as fulfilling as it has turned out to be. 

“My dad lives with us due to early onset Alzheimer’s, and I left the corporate world when we moved to Houston to help take care of him, but I missed having a job,” Lofland said. “I knew I could only work part-time and I saw something posted on the app Nextdoor about Klein ISD needing crossing guards. I called the number, spoke to the supervisor, interviewed and I started training the next day.”

Even though Lofland took on her job sort of unexpectedly, that doesn’t stop her from dedicating her heart and soul to her job. 

“She’s always saying ‘good morning’ to me and asking how I am, and she knows me by name,” junior Blake Smith said. “So, because she makes the effort to care, I feel cared for. And she does positively impact [the time] before and after school. Even a small amount of conversation is enough to brighten my mood.”

Despite her past experience as a student safety guard in 5th grade, Lofland never imagined she’d be a crossing guard, let alone enjoy it quite this much.

“I tell people all the time that this is my favorite job that I have had,” Lofland said. “I enjoy being outside, even in bad weather. It’s the people that I encounter and work with on a daily basis that make it worthwhile.