Staff Writer Mark Zhu ’26 sat down with Mr. John Dwan, Mr. Michael Flynn, and Mr. Chris Wilkerson to discuss the ins-and-outs of the Safety & Security department.
Mr. Chris Wilkerson
What brought you here initially?
[Safety & Security Officer] Christian Eaton is one of the security guards who work here now, and he told me about how great of a place Hotchkiss was. I was recruited in 2016 by a few people who worked here and started as a per diem.
Can you tell us a bit about the day-to-day work of Safety & Security?
Our primary focus is to meet the needs of the Hotchkiss community at large. We’re here to serve the community by patrolling the campus and making sure everything is safe.
We monitor fire alarm systems, door alarms, and camera systems. We lock and unlock all the buildings. We make sure all the lights are turned on and turned off.
What does a typical day look like for you?
I’m a supervisor, so my role is a little different because I have to do the scheduling. I oversee our team at night. I take calls as they come up. I really just try to make myself as available as I can to be helpful to the students and faculty.
What’s your favorite part of the job?
The students. I’ve gotten to know a number of students over the last few years. It’s really cool to get to connect with some of the kids and be an extra adult in their lives, if I can.
I know school is hard, so if I can be there in some way to be helpful to them, then that’s great for me. Especially over the last few years, I’ve developed a pretty good relationship with some of the seniors, and it’s always sad to see them go.
What’s your best memory at Hotchkiss?
The night before graduation is always fun. Last year was pretty special for me because I set up and closed down the bonfire and so got to spend a lot of time with the seniors. That was their last free moment as students before they graduated. There were some kids that were pretty special to me in that grade. I miss them a lot.
What are some of your hobbies?
I’m really focused on my family. I have a wife and two kids. My son actually applied to come to Hotchkiss in the fall—I’m really hopeful. Honestly, they take up the bulk of my time. I’m a big family man.
What did you do before coming here?
I worked in retail for over 15 years. I managed several convenience stores. I’ve always been a people person, and I really liked that aspect of it.
When I started working at Hotchkiss as a per diem employee, I realized how customer-oriented this job was. It’s really about human relationships, about interacting with and caring about people. That was a big appeal for me.
How has your job been affected by the Dining Hall construction?
Honestly, I was really nervous at first when I heard about the project, because I wasn’t sure how it was going to work. I didn’t know how much more of a demand we would have in our department as far as crossing goes.
But the school was really supportive, and we were able to hire a full-time person and two part-time people to manage the bulk of the hours at the crosswalk. So, it hasn’t really affected our department the way I thought it was going to, and I’m really grateful for that.
Mr. Michael Flynn
What brought you to the school?
I came to Hotchkiss when I retired from the police department in Waterbury. I was a detective in the major crimes division for 21 years, handling everything from homicides to assaults to burglaries—Waterbury’s a big city, and a lot is going on.
I loved my police career, but it was very high-stress. I have enjoyed coming to Hotchkiss, where work is a little bit slower-paced, and I can be more of a friendly face.
What do Safety & Security Officers do?
We maintain the safety and security of the campus for our community and guests. We’ll be at the front gates whenever there are campus events, directing people to where they want to go. We handle everything that comes up with the ongoing construction across campus. We provide escorts when outside people are in student spaces.
We try to maintain a high visibility so that people can reach us whenever they need anything.
What does a typical day look like for you?
It’s different every day. We handle anything that comes up. With all of the construction that’s been coming up on campus in the last couple of years, there’s always different kinds of escorts for guests to the campus. Right now, there’s a lot of that—escorts for the Memorial project that just finished up, the Tinker project that’s ongoing, and for the Dining Hall project that just started. We’re also doing a lot of work at the crosswalk lately.
What is your favorite part of the job?
My favorite part is interacting with the people on campus and getting to know everyone on a personal level.
I also really enjoy coaching track and field, which I got into because I used to be on a track and field team myself. I started there, and it led me to coaching cross country as well.
What’s one of your best memories at the school?
A few immediately come to mind. At our final track meet last year, Jamil Pandey ’23 finally threw the javelin over one hundred feet. He had been trying to do that for years. The pure joy on his and his friends’ faces when he finally accomplished that was really, really awesome.
Mr. John Dwan
What brought you to the school?
Right out of college, I started working in education, in the student development offices of colleges and universities. Then I went into business. I independently owned and operated Independent Grocers Alliance (IGA) supermarkets, my last being in Winstead, Connecticut. I did that for 36 years, and then I retired.
But I always wanted to go back into education. I live in Salisbury, and I used to drive by Hotchkiss all the time. I wrote the school’s head of security a letter saying, “Listen, you know, I’m retired. I don’t have a resume because I’ve been doing the same business for 36 years, but I’d like to come and work in your safety office.” He called me up, I had an interview, and then he asked me how much I wanted to work. I said a couple days a week. He told me they’d get me started, and that’s how I got here.
Can you tell us a bit about the day-to-day work of Safety & Security?
There’s always somebody at the desk, all the time, day or night, including during the holidays. Our job is safety and security, with a heavy emphasis on student safety. We want to make sure that students are in a good position to do their work. We’re on patrol to make sure the campus is safe and that students are where they’re supposed to be.
What does a typical day look like for you?
I work both during the day and at night. We have shifts from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., 4 p.m. to midnight, and then from midnight to 8 a.m. I come here at eight in the morning, go out on patrol, and then come in at ten to run the desk. Then, I go back on patrol and return to the desk later.
We go through all the buildings and make sure everything is in working order. A big part of the job is dealing with the mechanical heating and lighting system. We report any problems we observe to the Facilities Department through work orders.
What is your favorite part of your job?
We have a really great community here: students, faculty, and staff. It’s a wonderful place. I have come here and been accepted by the community.
I really enjoy working with young people. The students have a lot of energy, and it’s fun to be around them, especially in a place as dynamic as Hotchkiss, where everyone is so committed.
Also, the campus is beautiful. I fish at the lake, I play golf on the golf course, I work out at the MAC. We have a beautiful dining facility; even the temporary one is quite nice.
What’s one of your best memories at the school?
Graduations are special. At the first graduation I went to, I was surprised to see how the students were crying and so overjoyed. I said to one of the other officers, the kids are so emotional, and he said, they love each other; they’ve been here together for four years, and this is their home. That really sunk in that day—that this place is a community; it’s a family.
