As students go about their day at Chapel Hill High, they are bound to see three men patrolling the halls. Most students know them as the security guards; those who know them better know them by their call names: S2, S3 and S4.
S2 is Jonathan Stephens, who has been at Chapel Hill for eight years. Students can recognize him from his calming demeanor and neatly trimmed gray beard. S3 is Dominique Ruffin, who has been at Chapel Hill for six years. S4 is Tavis Foushee, who was hired last year. Foushee can be recognized by the backpack he typically wears.
The security team does a lot for the school. Checking the school’s perimeter and hallways is only part of their job; they also help break up fights and aid students in need of assistance. Above all, each member of the security team said he wants nothing more than to form meaningful relationships with the students they serve.
Foushee graduated from Chapel Hill High in 1986 and attended Winston-Salem State University. He ran an alternative school for at-risk students in Richmond, Virginia, for 26 years, which gave him many skills that aid him in his job today.
Foushee said that he was “very excited to be able to come back to Chapel Hill and give some of the experience I have learned over the years to people in my community to help build a stronger school.”
Foushee said that he had a great time in high school. He emphasized that the biggest difference between then and now is the new technology that students and staff have access to.
“You guys have so many opportunities here,” he said, emphasizing that the Career and Technical Education (CTE) department offers great opportunities for students.
Foushee is “a big fan of building relationships with kids that are here in the school.” He explained that a big part of his job is fostering relationships, and he is excited to help “grow the school and grow the kids” of his community.
Foushee believes the relationships he builds with students help keep everyone safe. He reasons that when students are comfortable with him, then they feel more comfortable coming to him with concerns and asking for guidance.
Ruffin went to Orange High school in Hillsborough, though he grew up in Efland. He
participated in band throughout middle and high school and attended Alamance Community College, where he is close to obtaining his associate’s degree.
He started teaching percussion at age 19 and is currently a consultant with several different percussion programs.
“I’m building the Willow Springs percussion program, just like I did with Apex friendship,” he said. “The goal is to keep going with school and teach at the collegiate level.”
Ruffin, like his colleagues, said he priortizes building relationships with students. “Getting to form positive relationships with the kids [and] get them through this journey of high school,”is his favorite part of being on the security team of Chapel Hill.
Stephens grew up in Elizabethtown, North Carolina, and said his high school experience was “mostly athletic.” He mentioned that he was interested in car racing and art during his high school years, which resulted in him being a “popular” student.
Stephens said that his favorite part about being on the security team is “communicating with staff” and “monitoring and making sure everybody’s safe.”
Stephens said that students “can always come and approach the security team and let us know if there’s something going on outside of school that’s going to affect them at school or if they need a little guidance [or] someone to talk to. They can always talk to security.”
Many students reported that they feel safer with S2, S3 and S4 patrolling the hallways and courtyard.
“The security team makes me feel very safe when I am at school and sporting events,” senior Sarah Zwaryczuk said. Sophomore Brandon Kark added, “They do a pretty good job [at protecting students] and they do it in a reasonable manner.”
The security team was awarded Chapel Hill High School employee of the month in November of 2023.
S1 was the call number of JeVonté Anderson, who passed away in January of 2022. His call number was retired to honor him and the work he did at Chapel Hill High School.
The security team works alongside Officer Bristol Jackson who is a Chapel Hill Police Officer and successor to Officer Kurt Gurley.
The Chapel Hill high school security team is here to help students and keep them safe. S2, S3 and S4 are more than just hallway monitors, and they each have their own story to tell. More than anything, though, they care about the students that they are serving every day.
