“Life Is What You Make It” — a Motto First Class Deputy Holland Lives Every Day

by Eikaiva Boyer for Walkersville High School Lion’s Pride

“I like who I am today. I wouldn’t change anything I’ve done. You know I have had ups and downs in each phase in my life like everybody else. I’ve looked at the lessons I’ve learned and I use it as a learning tool for myself and to share with others to help them as well,” said the Deputy that protects WHS, First Class Deputy Holland. She currently looks over seven schools in the area.

Holland will only be here for another three years because she is the type of person who cannot sit still. “Every 15 years I’m looking for something new, I don’t like being bored. I want to bring a positive interaction to everyone I come across. I want to offer people something substantial, something positive. I want to make a difference in their life,” she stated.

Holland isn’t sure on what she wants to do for her next occupation, but she hopes it has something to do with kids and photography. “I’m really into photography. I love taking pictures of nature. I just love to be out in the open and the simple things like leaves on a tree [in a picture]. But of course I love to take pictures of my grandkids.” Holland had taken a photography class in high school and continues to take courses in photography at Frederick Community College. “I just want it to be fun no matter what I do.” Though Holland has a special place in her heart for children, “I love kids. I like working at this age [students at WHS] because I feel it’s easier to teach you something positive. You know for adults they are already in their habits.”

She feels having two kids, a son who is 27, and a daughter who is 18, helps her with her job. “You know I hold my own kids to a certain standard but I would never ask them to do anything I have never done. This generation and the new generations, they’re a lot different. So you have to adapt to this.” This mindset often carries into her job of protecting the students at WHS. Speaking of adapting, Holland commented on how other police officers find difficulty in communicating with kids. “They (other police officers) think they can just tell them (juveniles) what to do and they’ll listen. When adults are told something, they do it. Kids like to push the envelope, especially if they come from a disoriented family and are not taught how to talk to adults. It’s a totally different police style and a lot of cops find it hard to adapt to this. You have to learn patience and a different way of communication. This is a big part of my job, and you have to understand this (to do Holland’s job well).”

Holland’s strong passion and love for juveniles really shines throughout her entire law enforcement career; out of all the occupations she has had she reflects more positively on interacting with juveniles, “Back when I was doing undercover work for Narcotics, I didn’t get to deal with juveniles; it was [a] more investigative [job].” Although she again found something positive in working in the Narcotic Unit for five years, “It felt really nice taking drugs off the streets.”

Holland has also been in the military, including the Army and the Reserves, worked for the federal government and has a degree in sociology, “My son was nine months old when I was activated. It was the hardest part of leaving.” Though her son was in good care with her parents.

Holland was active in the Army for three years. She has also been stationed in Saudi Arabia for six months to operate a prison camp. “It was definitely a unique and different experience,” she said with a laugh remembering what it was like. Though being in Saudi Arabia wasn’t a favorite of Holland. This experience makes her hate going to the beach but she said that if the majority of the family wants to go, she’ll go.

Another characteristic that Holland has is being a people person. “I love talking to people. I like dealing with my community and hearing about the positive moments. I like the positive impact I can have on a person and the different people I encounter. Sometimes when I’m at Walmart and I’ll see someone looking at me or if they look like they need to talk about something I’ll make the effort to talk to them, so we’ll just start talking.” To put it in more simpler terms Holland leaves a positive impact on everywhere she goes and wears her heart on her uniform.

One of the reasons Holland puts on her uniform everyday is because she has been through a lot; she can offer advice and experience to others in need. “A lot of things have happened to me as a person which makes me want to serve.” A couple of other reasons was the event of 9/11, to serve her community, and her perception of police officers. “As a kid, and even now as a cop I get stopped by the police. Once I got on the other side (the law enforcement side) it wasn’t what I perceived it to be. Seeing how the officers and the whole system operates and how our emotions can change depending on what kind of call you are responding to it’s just not what I perceived it to be. I love how no two calls are the same — you deal with different people, different personalities, [and] different situations. It opened my eyes up a little more.”

Holland feels protecting citizens and juveniles comes easier to her, “As a mom, that’s your job to protect. After becoming a police officer I look at things differently now, not just physically either, things like issues in society.” She feels she can use this tool and teach this to her kids and the students at WHS. “I’ve worked here (WHS) for five years, and I’ve had to take action on students but I believe that every day is a new day. I want those same students to feel that they can come in and talk and carry on a conversation with me.”

Eighteen months after she became a deputy, Holland was promoted to First Class Deputy. Holland is up for a promotion but she chooses not to go higher, “I chose not to be promoted. Let’s just say I’m very opinionated about certain topics, and as you get higher positions in law enforcement you lose your freedom. I like that I can go home and be done with it. I’m just not ready to sacrifice my beliefs.”

Happy-go-lucky hardcore Cowboys football fan Holland admits she does it all for her family, “I love spending time with my family. Even though my son is married and has kids and my daughter is almost 18 I make sure we go out to lunch or take a walk or hike once a week. I’ll get on them too if that doesn’t happen,” she said with a laugh. Going back to Holland’s relationship with her family, she made a comment that definitely needs to be practiced more in this current generation, “You have to slow down sometimes and remember what’s important to us.”

Although Holland said herself, “I like to chill. I’m always running [around]. Police work isn’t always fun though, it’s a LOT of paperwork so I try to make my office comfortable.” Holland’s office was recently moved to the old attendance office which is in the front of the building. She feels that she’s not tucked away anymore which will be more inviting for students to just stop by and say “Hey.” Holland’s office is decorated in white string lights, inspiring quotes, pictures of her family, and her favorite music circulates throughout it all. “R&B is my favorite, not the new R&B though, I can’t understand any words in those songs. I like the old R&B. In general I like old school music,” she said laughing.

Secretary Sandra Larkin wrote a pride card on Holland earlier in the term,“I think Deputy Holland is wonderful. She relates to the school staff and community. She is very proactive in keeping us safe and secure. Plus, she’s a great listener.”

“She really cares about our students. Staff look to her as a resource as well. We’re very blessed to have her at the school,” said Counselor Geri Beth Chavez.

“She’s chill and doesn’t expect us to be perfect children. She understands where people are coming from when they do bad things,” said junior Jayla Pollock.

“She’s so close to all the kids. Like if a teacher were to pull me from a fight I would hate it, but if Deputy Holland did I wouldn’t be mad because she would make me calm. She talks to you in such a way like she calms you down. She’s just so chill,” junior Quanae McClain said with an emphasis on SO “chill.”

“She doesn’t judge you based on who you are and your actions. She knows where you’re coming from,” said junior Debbie Afolabi.

Holland really devotes her life to this quote she said, “Life is what you make it.”