Every year a teacher or staff departure rocks the school. Last year, it was security team leader Chris Pucciarelli, who retired after 23 years at the school, leaving behind a legacy of impactful relationships with students and a sense of safety within the building. He also left big boots for a new security team leader to fill. That person is Ray Blankenship.
Blankenship grew up in Montgomery County and graduated high school from Wheaton. Using his degree in communications, he landed a job with ESPN Radio. “I worked at the local Washington affiliate for nine years, first as an intern and after that doing commercials. I also produced a radio show that would interview different teams,” Blankenship said.
After leaving that field, Blankenship first joined Gaithersburg as a security guard. He then went to Churchill, where he worked for the past six years, before joining our school this year. “I wanted to find more fulfilling work. It’s all about finding a balance in life,” Blakenship said.
Blankenship has found that this career path has allowed him to prioritize his family over his job. “I was working nine straight Christmases, New Years, Thanksgivings and never really had any time to myself. Now I’m a father of two. This is a much more fulfilling job than ESPN,” Blankenship said.
An important aspect of working as a school security guard is the relationships with students. “I want to feel like the security guards are here to support me just as much as they are here to protect me,” sophomore Lily Kendall said.
Blankenship feels similarly. “A lot of people think our role is to constantly get people in trouble. That’s not the case. Some kids might make some wrong decisions but our goal is to help everyone be the best they can be. We want them to reach their full potential,” Blankenship said.
Students also want security guards and other staff to connect with them on a personal level. “One way that staff make me feel like they truly care is by connecting with me. A simple hello or a quick conversation goes a long way in making me feel comfortable in the building. I think that other students feel the same,” senior Kasra Dokhaee said.
Getting to know students on a personal level is important to Blankenship. The students also want to know about who he is. “I’ve heard that there is a new security guard but I don’t really know much about him. It would be interesting to hear about his background and learn a bit about who he is,” Kendall said.
Blankenship wants students to know that despite his hard-working mentality, he is a fun person. “I love any peanut butter and chocolate combo ice cream. Anything with Reese’s wins. I love dogs. I’m also a big golden retriever guy and have one of my own,” Blankenship said.
Another important part of Blankenship’s life is sports. This passion is what led him to his first career with ESPN. “I love any type of sport. My family and friends play fantasy football, basketball, baseball and all of those types of things,” Blankenship said.
Throughout his career and life, Blankenship has learned lessons that he wants to share with students. “My message to students is work as hard as you can. Try as many things as you can. Don’t be afraid to do new things whether it be with a job or school. Let the chips fall where they do and you’ll land somewhere great,” Blankenship said.
