Dillon Deaton

Officer Bill Eckler, the resource officer at Madison Southern High School, is more than just an enforcer. He’s a mentor.
&#8220;It&#8217;s heart warming to get to be a small part of their lives,&#8221; Bill says, &#8220;or I hope to be anyway.&#8221;
He greets students and faculty at Madison Southern High School each day with a kind gesture and warm smile. Bill has a unique philosophy in his approach to being a resource officer. He understands the strong correlation between a hectic home life and its destructive impact on a student&#8217;s education.
&#8220;I work as a law enforcement officer, but more importantly, I am a liaison between the school and the students and the parents. It’s a triad, what we do as resource officers,&#8221; he says.
Instead of approaching incidents and situations by laying down the law, Bill is understanding and compassionate.
&#8220;Unfortunately, a lot of the students don&#8217;t have the mentoring or the encouragement or the love and the attention. Everyone desires the love and attention, and a lot of the kids just don&#8217;t have that, so I might be the only father figure they may see,&#8221; he says. &#8220;I may be the only person who may be encouraging them.”
He knows how to bridge the gap between home life and education and create the path to a safe and comfortable learning environment.
For Bill, this is more than a job – it’s a calling. One by one, he connects with students and helps them put life into perspective.
&#8220;God knows that I enjoy making a difference in these kids&#8217; lives,&#8221; he says. &#8220;If we continue winning the little battles, we will eventually win the war.&#8221;

Bridging the Gap