WELLINGTON, Fla. — Every morning, parents send their children off to school. And for nearly the past three decades, one woman has been making sure all the students that pass by her are safe.
When anyone walks up to the corner of one particular busy intersection in Wellington, you know there is an extra set of eyes and ears looking out for your every move.
"You gotta have your eyes on the traffic everywhere, every which way," said crossing guard Marianne Carnevale.
Carnevale has never let her guard down, and the last day of the school year just so happens to be Carnevale's last time keeping watch and helping protect all these children before she puts her sign down and retires.
"It's a little bitter sweet. Hard to believe that this day has come," Carnevale said.
Carnevale has kept this post as a school crossing guard for the past 27 years, stopping traffic and helping children cross in front of Wellington Elementary School and New Horizons Elementary School.
"We need to make sure these drivers slow down and we can get those kids to school safely," Carnevale said.
Over the years, Carnevale has developed a deep bond with the kids, parents, and with her colleagues.
"I'm crossing some students that I crossed years ago with their children," Carnevale said.
But now, she stepping out of the crosswalk and she's beginning a new chapter with her husband, who drove her every morning and every afternoon to this post.
Now Carnevale is walking away with no regrets after spending decades helping protect students and making them smile.
"I feel like if I can turn that frown upside down and send them to school feeling positive, that's kind of what my objective is every day," Carnevale said.
If you would like to follow in Carnevale's footsteps, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office is hiring and is in need of more crossing guards. To apply, click here.