Williams, Austin create trusting relationships as campus supervisors

October 24, 2025

Eric Williams and Sydney Austin are providing safety, security and self-esteem to thousands of students each year through their important roles as campus supervisors.
 
Williams and Austin are part of a team of LPS campus supervisors who ensure students feel valued, respected and seen during their high school days. Williams, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln graduate, has worked at Southeast High School for the past four years and has handled LPS security positions since 2005. Austin attended Holmes Elementary School and Lefler Middle School before graduating from East High School in 2014. She is in her third year as a campus supervisor at East.

 
Williams and Austin both said their top goal is to be a source of encouragement for students. They said making friendly connections with current Knights and Spartans can create life-changing outcomes for everyone at school.
 
“I try to touch every group in the building and make them feel wanted,” Williams said. “I don’t want kids to feel alienated or unwanted, which is why I just try to be positive. Some of them look at me in the morning, and I am like I am now. I just try to make them smile or make them aware that, ‘Hey, your day is going to get better.’ They may not hear that in other places, so I make sure to incorporate that. It’s important to make them feel good about themselves.”
 
“I love when kids feel comfortable enough to tell me what the problem is,” Austin said. “I love it when they feel comfortable enough to talk about anything, and they don’t feel like they’re going to get in trouble. I want to be a safe space for people. Just being a safe adult for them to come talk to when they need to.”

 
East Principal Casey Fries and Southeast Principal Tanner Penrod praised Austin and Williams for providing many uplifting moments. They said both are making a difference with their inspirational words, hopeful energy and genuine care for all students.
 
“In education, we often emphasize the importance of every student having a trusted adult. For many students at East, that person is Sydney,” Fries said. “She is consistently upbeat, positive and approachable, building strong connections with students while upholding the school’s expectations for what it means to be successful.”
 
“Mr. Williams embodies our most basic expectation for all – to make Lincoln Southeast a safe, welcoming environment where teaching and learning thrive,” Penrod said. “Mr. Williams connects effortlessly with students from all backgrounds, builds respectful relationships, and maintains a calm, steady presence in tough situations. His humor, consistency and professionalism set the tone for a supportive, inclusive school culture. He truly does his work as well as anyone I’ve had the privilege to work with.”
 
Williams begins each day by scanning identification badges of students as they enter the front doors. He then starts his daily patrols of the building, which he said usually equals 18,000-20,000 total steps. He scans common areas to ensure students are not there during class periods, oversees the south cafeteria during lunchtime and assists Knights who need supervision, support or a friendly smile.
 
During one morning, Williams said hello to a student who was walking toward him in the hallway. After learning that she was searching for the location of Door 12, he stopped his patrol route and immediately guided her to the correct place. Along the way, they chatted about her school activities and what she was doing that day, which caused her to leave the conversation with a wide grin.

 
“My passion in life is helping other people,” Williams said. “I like helping. I helped all the time growing up. I was always that person to get involved, whether someone needed a babysitter or help with gardening or mowing the lawn. I always tried to be the helper, and maybe that’s what I am now.”
 
Austin follows a similar routine at East. Her daily schedule includes walking through hallways, monitoring all three lunch periods and helping administrators, custodians, librarians, school counselors and school social workers. She also works at East fine arts and sports events during the evening, which connects her with even more students and families.
 
Austin said being visible in the hallways is a vital part of her job. Many Spartans will say hello to her, tell her about problems they may be experiencing or inform her about something they are worried about at school. During a 15-minute span one morning, she asked a girl who was sick the previous day how she was doing, guided a Spartan to a journalism classroom and smiled at students who were working on a class project.
 
“I think it’s important to be in the halls and have a presence there, even if nothing’s happening at the moment,” Austin said. “A lot of kids will approach us in the hallways during passing periods, so it’s really important for us to be out there, because it’s the only time when they might be able to speak with us.”

 
That willingness to provide a listening ear has helped Austin build strong relationships with East sophomores Brooklyn and Madi. Both said they are grateful for Austin’s support in their lives.
 
“It’s been really important to have someone like Sydney around,” Brooklyn said. “You need to have trusted adults like her at school. I completely trust her with everything I say.”
 
“Sydney’s really good,” Madi said. “She’s always there for me. I can go to her with everything.”

 
Austin and Williams are able to enforce rules and establish hope-filled connections with students at the same time through their work. Both said they want to make a meaningful difference in the lives of hundreds of Spartans and Knights every day.
 
“I’m not looking for things that are wrong. I’m not looking to get you in trouble,” Austin said. “I want to be your friend, but I also want to be an adult that you can trust and talk to. I needed that when I was a kid, so I want other kids to feel that way too.”
 
“That’s my enjoyment, when you get to uplift people all day,” Williams said. “It’s about making their lives a little bit better.”
 
Want to make a difference at LPS like Eric and Sydney are each day? Visit home.lps.org/hr/careers to view open positions, learn information about benefits and receive notifications about job opportunities.
 
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