Anyone who goes to Ursuline probably knows of Kevin Carmen, the security guard who circles the school on his bike and waves to students every morning. We all should know that he works in security, but the knowledge often stops there.
Kevin and his new co-officer Sean Stewart share their life journeys leading up to their current jobs of keeping Ursuline safe.
Kevin grew up primarily in El Paso, Texas, then graduated Bel Air Health Magnet High School. He proceeded to attend the University of Notre Dame, where he joined the Air Force Reserves and worked as a police officer during summers.
“I graduated with a dual degree in Criminal Justice and Political Science,” Kevin said. “I subsequently left the military due to an injury and continued to work for the federal government as Law Enforcement back in El Paso, where I worked on my Graduates at UTEP.”
Once a few years had passed, he moved to Dallas to work for a congressional campaign, after which he worked for many years as Global Security Director for Halliburton Energy.
Kevin came to Ursuline in April 2016.
“While at Halliburton, a friend of mine that worked with Auggie asked if I could help with security for a private school,” he said. “I fell in love with Ursuline and the community and ultimately decided this was the place for me.”
On a day-to-day basis, Kevin does much more than patrol campus on his bike.
“I have morning briefings with various departments and construction,” he said. “Then I set up and get ready for AM carpool. When school starts, I perform a walkthrough of the outside and inside of the school for safety concerns.”
His day doesn’t stop there. Kevin continues to perform security measures and complete other related tasks as needed.
“Throughout the day, I monitor and service cameras, monitor the front gate, patrol and take meetings with parents, faculty and students,” Kevin said.
“At the end of my day,” he said, “I wrap up with setting up and monitoring PM carpool.”
“What makes this job special to me is I am able to help the future female leaders of the world in my own way,” Kevin said.
While he stays known for riding his trusty bike, he is now accompanied by another officer who assists him in protecting the school.
Ursuline’s newest security officer Sean Stewart, often seen patrolling school grounds with Kevin, joined the UA community in November 2021. After just a few months on the job, he has already grown to love Ursuline.
In terms of Sean’s life background, he was born and raised in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and moved to Americus, Georgia, where he stayed until he graduated from Americus Sumter High School.
He was recruited to play football at Bacone College in Oklahoma and majored in Criminal Justice there. Then he began work in the security field.
“I began working for different security companies in DFW before starting my seven-year career as a Public Safety Officer at the University of Texas at Arlington.”
While working at UTA, Sean heard about an Ursuline job opportunity through his wife.
“My wife is a coach at the school, so I was introduced to and intrigued by the Ursuline community and what it represents,” he said. “When I had the opportunity to make the change to Ursuline I quickly took it knowing how it would provide a better work/life balance for my family and me.”
Sean takes on a similar role as Kevin in his daily work schedule.
“I have the midday shift to nights. I get debriefed on any daily events happening on campus. Throughout the shift I monitor the main gate, the cameras, and patrol the campus grounds. I also assist with afternoon carpool, [as well as] the safety team member representation at home sporting events,” he said.
As the only two security officers on campus, Sean and Kevin highly regard their positions as special to the entire community.
“What makes the job special to me is I am responsible for the protection of the students to have a safe environment to learn, and the teachers and staff to have a safe place to work,” Sean said.
After less than a semester, his new position has even made him want to send his daughters to UA for high school.
“My favorite part of working at Ursuline is the fact that I have felt a part of the family and community since the moment I stepped onto the campus,” Sean said. “I like knowing that this is a place I look forward to my daughters attending in the future.”
It’s safe to say that, with the help of Kevin, Sean has assimilated well since taking the job.
He added, “Thank you to everyone in the Ursuline community for welcoming me in, and Go Bears!”
