School hires new supervisor

Sitting alone at the library computers, Mark Hernandez is one of the few people in the vast space during fourth period. As he checks his mail, he smiles and continues to read. His golf cart, parked outside, is one of the many things that identify him as the new campus supervisor.

“I’m getting to know my way around,” said Hernandez. “I’m trying to meet all the students, but it’s hard to meet everyone.”
Hernandez came to Saratoga looking for a change from his previous job in security at Santa Clara University. He wanted to leave the more hectic pace at Santa Clara, but was still looking for something in the same field.
“At Santa Clara, the campus wasn’t as calm. There was a lot of bike theft, drugs, alcohol and fights,” said Hernandez. “The campus was about the same size, but we could arrest people and had emergency calls. Also, the hours were long and we worked in 12-hour shifts, which took time away from my family. Another reason for coming to the high school is that] I enjoy working with young kids.”
Every day, Hernandez goes through a laundry list of items to be completed. While most students are still sleeping, Hernandez has already started his work at 7 a.m. His responsibilities include everything from setting up cones for parking to helping parents get information.
“I check in with (assistant principl) Mr. Bosco after I arrive to see if there’s anything he wants me to do, and mostly I just check for vandalism and the students. I check if students cut class, and just go to the places where they usually hang out or hide,” said Hernandez.
Hernandez usually works with Saratoga’s other campus supervisor, Jeanine Sevilla. They work together by splitting up so that they can cover more area. Hernandez said that Sevilla usually covers parking, registration, permits and office work, while he works more in the cafeteria and patrolling.
Besides work at Saratoga, Hernandez also has to balance a job coaching football at Lincoln High. He is the offensive coordinator for the frosh-soph team and the position coach for the quarterbacks and running backs. Hernandez goes to his coaching job right after leaving Saratoga at 3:30 p.m.
“Sometimes it gets pretty boring, so I like to watch football,”said Hernandez. ” I just like simple things.”