Bryan Austin: Gang Adviser

By Sarah Johnson

Gangs involving enrolled students in the school district affect the school’s safety since 1995. Bryan Austin has become part of the Ranger family to help prevent gangs becoming an issue at Redwood.

Austin just started the job a year ago, last October. He says, “I am able to reach them on a different level”.

He lived in Hanford originally and has been working with kids since 1991. Austin’s favorite part, he says, is, “the way that the staff, the faculty, everyone here opening arms as a new person comes in”. He loves how welcoming Redwood has been.

Austin’s supervisor, Mr. Marroquin, says that he does a great job. “I think that they needed a strong, positive male role model.” The kids that may be associated with gangs in some way or another may not have role model at home. So they need Bryan Austin as a role model that can be related to.

Marroquin thinks he is successful in reaching these kids because he knows kids. His experience of being a hard worker allows him to want kids to be a better version of themselves.

“He could be a big brother, he could be big father, he could be a big grandfather.” Marroquin says this without hesitation. Marroquin says that out of all of the candidates, we got the best one. “Bryan Austin is the kind of guy we need to make Redwood a better school.”

Bryan Austin has been successful in his job and has been utilized multiple times throughout the year as a large part of improving Redwood.