It’s another school day at Gunn, and Campus Supervisor Brandon Boyd surveys the grounds in his golf cart, making sure everything is in order. Students in class? Check. No technical malfunctions or damages to the grounds? Check. Construction or groundskeeping regulated? Check. These are just some of Boyd’s duties on paper. Beyond logistics, it’s the human connection with students that he looks forward to, giving his role a deeper meaning.

“It seems like just a normal job,” he said. “But after working here (for) around ten years, there’s so much more to it that makes me want to come here every morning.”

One of those aspects Boyd refers to is the very thing he works for: Gunn’s students. Boyd sees his mission as far more than just security. It is a daily opportunity to support students with both their academic and personal journeys. While he recognizes some students may see campus supervisors as disciplinarians, Boyd hopes to shift that perception. For him, the main priority is expanding the purpose of security into one of well-rounded support for each student.

“I think it’s important for all the students to understand that we’re here for them and we’re here to support them,” he said. “We’re not their enemies or trying to get them in trouble or anything. We’re just trying to make sure everyone stays on task (so) we can keep everyone safe.”

Boyd has long-standing ties to the Palo Alto community as a Paly graduate and a former Menlo College football player. Boyd eventually returned to the school setting at PAUSD, but instead of Paly, he came to coach sports at Gunn in 2015.

“Gunn had a football opportunity to come coach and help out, so I came here,” he said. “Then, within the first year of my coaching, I was offered a new position here.”

Boyd’s mentorship and connections with student athletes extends beyond the field and into the full-time campus role he holds today, something that feels like a natural extension of the connections he had built within the sporting community.

“Since I had already built a good relationship with students through coaching sports, the administrators thought that it would be helpful for me to be on campus full time to help more students,” he said. “It was a smooth transition because I felt like I already worked well with the students.”

Reflecting on his own Palo Alto educational journey, Boyd is familiar with how students experience the stresses and successes that Gunn’s culture offers. Having navigated this path himself, Boyd hopes to serve as a sort of guidepost for students and their years throughout high school.

“I want to give guidance by telling the stories of how I grew up
throughout Palo Alto, because I also graduated from Paly,” he said. “Letting my experiences be a lesson for those moving forward can help give kids a better way to navigate for themselves.”

But for Boyd, nothing is more rewarding than seeing his efforts to aid students pay off.
“I’ve been coaching and advising in Palo Alto for a long time, and to see kids go from ninth grade to college is amazing,” he said. “Seeing them carry skills that they used in high school (and into) their future lives, and (witnessing) some of them come back to show us their successes really is meaningful.”

Campus Supervisor Chris Chan first joined PAUSD as a custodian at various middle schools within the district. He later stepped into a two-week substitute campus supervisor role at Gunn — a position that became permanent shortly after. Now, Chan is a hard-to-miss face on the school grounds, connecting with community members in a way he knows best: By proudly repping Bay Area teams like the Giants, Sharks, Warriors or 49ers gear, Chan sparks conversations.

In particular, his signature style, including Chan’s iconic Sharks jersey, is more than just fan wear. It reflects his strong sense of local pride. His love for the team traces back to playing hockey with broomsticks and trash cans on San Jose’s streets.

“(The) Sharks (and hockey) are actually my favorite (team and sport) out of all (in) the Bay Area, and also, that was the first professional sports team in San Jose,” he said.

A typical day for Chan starts with a department debrief. This includes meeting with fellow Campus Supervisors Brandon Boyd and Jorge Sanchez to discuss the previous day’s events and review any updates that happened overnight. Following this, the trio splits up and conducts a perimeter sweep, checking for signs of potential break-ins, vandalism or safety concerns. Each monitor one of Gunn’s three primary zones, including buildings and athletic facilities, according to Chan.

“(We have) the freedom to work at our own pace,” he said. “We try to stay pretty communicative
with each other as well. If we see something fishy on campus, or if we see something out of place, we’ll go ahead and let each other know.”

These relationships are an essential part of his position, but Chan also finds that his interactions with the youth anchor his passion, enthusiasm and dedication for the job.

“I’m ultimately here for security, but (I’m) also (here) for safety and wellness,” he said. “And nowadays, that includes mental wellness, not just physical. So I approach it with that type of an attitude, because building relationships with you guys also allows us to break the ice and build some type of a bond and
a trust.”

The impact of Chan’s campus supervisor role doesn’t end when the school day does: it has also impacted his life outside of his work. For example, although Chan has a long commute to Gunn, he has adjusted to sleeping earlier in order to give himself and the student body his maximum energy the next day.

“If you don’t have motivation, you’re not going to really want to wake up and drive those distances,” he said. “Certain aspects like that have changed me, parts of my daily lifestyle and routine. And it’s for the better.”

Student relationships resonate with Chan on a deeper level too, encouraging him to build even stronger bonds in order to best support Gunn. “I look at you guys like my little niece and nephews,” he said. “So if I don’t say anything to them, I feel guilty hearing that something happened, because I could have given them my two cents just through life experience.”

While having been at Gunn for only a year, Chan’s warm greetings, hearty fist bumps and friendly presence have made an outsized impact. From checking for graffiti to handling bee infestations, Chan hopes he can become both a pillar on campus and a rock for Gunn’s students, and greater community.

“I’m going to be seeing and interacting with you guys multiple times,” he said. “I’m here to ultimately impact your lives as positively as possible.”