Ronshon Fisher has always lived by the belief that teamwork makes the dream work. As a high schooler at Lansing Eastern, Fisher thrived in football and led his team to success. But on the basketball court, however, his role wasn’t defined by points or playing time; it was about something much deeper.
“I wasn’t that good, and I didn’t get much playing time, but I’m pretty outspoken,” Fisher said. “I think they kept me on the team to keep everybody together.”
Fisher has brought that attitude to all the schools he’s worked at as a safety officer, and he plans to bring it to his new position at ELHS as the Lead Safety Monitor.
Last year, ELPS worked with a company called DK Security, which assigned guards to the school. However, over the summer, ELHS administration decided to hire in-house school security guards instead. According to Principal Ashley Schwartzbek, a major reason for this change was turnover.
“We had a lot of different people in and out throughout the year, so it was really difficult for our students to build relationships and have a clear understanding of who people were within the space,” Schwartzbek said.
Hiring school-based security also allowed administration to select individuals with experience working in a school environment. This change came with the creation of a lead safety officer position to provide the new team with guidance and support.
That’s where Fisher came in.
Fisher’s interest in law enforcement began 25 years ago when he overheard a presentation by the Lansing Police Department at his job at the Boys and Girls Club. From there, he trained at Schoolcraft College in Detroit and started his first position with the Department of Public Safety in the Lansing School District, a role he found fulfilling but demanding.
“Every day, my head was on a swivel. I wore a lot of gear,” Fisher said. “There was always something going on, always an emergency, so I was always on the go. It was tough to find time to get lunch. We called it ‘eating on the run.’”
Despite facing challenges, Fisher and his team were able to make positive changes in the district.
“We put together a safety plan and kept students safe, making sure they felt comfortable coming to school, whether they were walking to or from the building,” Fisher said.
After working in Lansing for 10 years, Fisher decided it was time to retire. But then, the job opening at East Lansing caught his attention. Upon learning more about the role, the calmer environment and successful sports teams convinced him to extend his tenure.
“Coming here and taking all that gear off—I’m able to smile again. I’m able to laugh again,” Fisher said. “Now, I can build positive relationships and be there for the students, faculty, and staff.”
So far, Fisher has tried his best to be there for the ELHS community. Every morning, he stands by Door 8, greeting students to put a smile on their faces. He bought 15 homecoming t-shirts and gave them to students who didn’t have one yet.
However, Fisher’s job isn’t just about being a positive presence. He’s trained to monitor various situations that could affect safety. He starts each day with interior and exterior door checks to ensure nothing poses a threat to individuals inside the building and checks the parking lot for damaged property. He also looks out for students or staff members who seem upset.
“We monitor not just students, but staff as well,” Fisher said. “When they come in the door, are they upset? Are they frowning? Then we ask them questions. Sometimes it’s something small, like ‘my brother or sister made me mad,’ but other times, someone may have hurt them or crossed a line, and it’s important to address that.”
Fisher’s goal at East Lansing is to ensure that everyone feels respected, heard and safe. He wants people to feel comfortable approaching him with any issue.
“Everyone has a voice, and sometimes people have suggestions for making things safer,” Fisher said. “So I have to be mindful to listen to faculty or students to get their input.”
Looking ahead, Fisher is excited to bond with staff and students. He hopes to become a figure students will remember when reflecting on their high school years.
“I’m looking forward to being able to celebrate with students when it’s time for them to graduate. I want to at least jump into one photo with them and smile and then have them have that memory to look back on.” Fisher said. “Maybe someone will say, Who’s that guy? And then I want to leave a legacy where the student says, ‘Let me tell you about that guy. That guy was Mr. Fisher, and he was really nice. He made sure we were safe. But more importantly, he cared about his job. He was there for us all the time. He was always outside in the rain, he was always outside in the snow. He was there for us if there was ever anything we needed.’”
