In the movies, it's usually the English teacher or the varsity coach who offers the life-changing piece of advice. But at Herndon High School, It's just as likely to be Security Assistant Peter Coles.
"Oh my God, I love that man," said Emily Abrams, a recent graduate. "He's changed so many lives at that school just by being there and being a bright spot for kids to go to."
Coles, 65, of Centreville, has been a source of guidance and information for hundreds of students at Herndon High School, said Abrams, who was her class president. It was Coles' advice that led her to take an internship with U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) last year, she said.
Working with students, finding ways to relate to them and to help them transition into their adult lives is something that factors into Coles' thinking every day, he said.
"We're not just 'rent-a-cops' who just work on the security aspect of things," Coles said. "We're down in the trenches, we see that girl and that boyfriend and we see that they might be having a problem or whether they're having a great time — and we'll work with that and try and keep an eye on what's going on in their lives."
But long before Coles' was keeping an eye on hundreds of teenagers, he was watching out for a single person, the president. For 27 years, Coles worked for Federal Protective Services, the government agency responsible for facility security. Coles, who has met every President since Dwight Eisenhower (R) ended his career as director of the region stretching from Washington D.C. to Philadelphia, the first black man to hold the position.
The notion to retire and seek out a new lifestyle is something that Coles can narrow down to a specific moment in his life nine years ago.
"I was assigned to the Oklahoma City bombings, and I went out to Denver to do some advance work for [bomber Timothy] McVeigh's trial," Coles said. "I ended up signing out for the 'university of burnout' when I got there, and when I decided I wanted to retire I realized, 'hey, I'm only 56,' — and I realized I could still do something with my life and my skills."
IN THE 1970s, Coles had worked as a part-time security assistant at T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria. After leaving his govenrment job, Coles remembered how he had enjoyed the work in the schools.
"They had an opening in Herndon and I heard that they needed a security assistant, so I applied for the job," Coles said.
Nine years later, he is a student favorite. After being selected as commencement speaker in 2000 and 2002, he decided to remove himself from contention.
"I swear to God, he goes home and studies the yearbook," Abrams said. "Moreso than anyone in the school, he knows everybody's name ... and not just their name, but their story as well."
"I stop and I talk to every kid that I see," Coles said. "It's tough being a kid, it's tough growing up and dealing with the issues that they deal with in their lives."
Coles' skill at listening to and caring about the students is what makes him such a positive influence, said Frances Ivey, the schools' principal.
"His knowledge and his previous history with [federal] security — he brings that whole different perspective to the school," Ivey said. "The kids and everyone on the staff have just a tremendous amount of respect for him."
That respect was shown last month, when Fairfax County honored Coles by presenting him with the Onthank Award. He was one of 10 county employees to receive the award, given for extraordinary performance.
But Coles doesn't take full credit for the award.
"The reason I was able to get this award was because of my colleagues, they're the ones who work with me, help us out, get through to the students," Coles said. "We're a team."
FOR COLES, PROVIDING security in a post-Columbine world has raised the stakes even higher, and has caused him to look at situations proactively.
"When you look at past situations, everyone always looks around and says, 'well, I didn't know that was going to happen, if I knew, maybe I would have been able to intervene,'" he said. "We're not necessarily all junior psychologists, but we look for the symptoms — and we make ourselves open to kids and get involved in their lives."
Part of keeping a cautious eye on students means watching out for those who may become involved with drugs and alcohol. Coles has taken the initiative to speak to several parents about ways to watch for these signs, according to Lisa Lombardozzi, Herndon High School PTA president.
But his job doesn't always allow him to be everybody's friend. Coles must also make sure that the school remains safe, and to do so, he must sometimes be a disciplinarian, he said.
His training as a soldier in Vietnam and a security agent play a large role in how he goes about collecting intelligence and defusing potential problems. He said that his relationship with students allows them to come to him with information about fights or other dangerous situations before they happen.
"You don't have to be in police work to know this kind of thing. You just need to pay attention here and there — and build those genuine relationships with people," Coles said.
But being an authority figure doesn't mean Coles must always be a disciplinarian. He will sometimes use a bad situation as an opportunity to teach students a lesson and to help them.
This attitude is a large part of the reason that Coles is well-liked by the students, Abrams said. "When he sees kids making trouble, he won't just start screaming at them and taking everyone for detentions," she said.
"I show them and I respect them and speak to them as adults and as equals," Coles said. "It's just about being there, and spending time with [children], not 'quality time stuff' but lots of time, listen to them and respect them."
BEING ON SUMMER vacation is something that would make many people happy and relieved, but not Coles.
He is currently keeping himself busy by writing a book about dealing with students and people in general through observation, listening and open lines of communications. He plans on calling it "No Ordinary Moments."
But writing a book is not enough to keep him totally satisfied. "I'm already wondering when school is going to start again," he said with a laugh.
"The greatest thing about this is to be at my age and to have someone come and say, 'you're at your best in what you do,'" he said as he leaned back and draped his arm over the back of the chair next to him. "I guess if you like something that you're doing, you'll do it well."