She attends classes and extracurricular activities, just like everyone else. What one may not guess is that she protects the campus as a student police officer.

From Santa Maria, California, Taylyr patrols the campus nearly every day, looking for things amiss.

She grew up on the move, living in Colorado, Arkansas, Idaho and South Carolina, where her parents live.  Her dad, a pastor, and her mother, decided to move often, whenever they felt the calling.

People frequently asked Taylyr if her family was military. She sometimes wished she could say yes because it would "make more sense." Through it all, her sister became her best friend.

When she started college at ENMU, she also wanted to create a family. After getting farther in her degree program of family and consumer sciences, she changed her priorities and questioned what she wanted from life.

"I started thinking about what I really enjoyed," she said.

While looking at the jobs board on campus, she noticed the police department was hiring student security officers and thought "that might be worth trying."

Taylyr enjoys her job. She hasn't been with the department a full year, but the job has helped her make tough life decisions, including enlisting in the military. She swore into the Air Force with the occupational goal of Security Forces.

Her future plans include traveling, starting a family, and having a military career.

On a typical shift, lasting about three hours, Taylyr makes rounds on campus, patrols buildings, and ensures people are being safe. She gives citations when needed, but that's "not part of the job she actually likes to do."

One skill that has helped her with her job is verbal judo. Through allowing people to understand that she validates their feelings, she can more effectively communicate the issue at hand. She also uses it to control situations.

She feels the biggest challenge on the job is how the public fears the police. When she patrols a location, people sit up straight and act differently. The hairs on their neck stand up.

"We aren't here for people to fear us; we're here so people have nothing to fear," she said. Taylyr hopes to protect the campus to the best of her ability, being aware of her surroundings.

Taylyr says the campus is very safe compared to most due to the small size.

"It makes my job routine, but at the same time, I would rather have routine in what I do than have things going on all the time," she said.

So while students comfortably slouch into chairs in the library for a study group, or chat in the halls after class, Taylyr will be there, keeping everyone safe. It's a job she does well, and a job she loves.