Out of 3,000 students serving in Student Safety Patrols at over 100 schools across San Diego, only two are awarded the highest honor, the Colonel distinction, every year by the San Diego Police Department. One of those students was Morning Creek Elementary 5th grader Ashtyn Seger.
Ashtyn was named Colonel in a surprise announcement at a ceremony held at Del Norte High School on Saturday, December 16, 2023. She received the award from San Diego Police Chief David Nisleit and Officer David Valdez. Ashtyn was selected from 30 Colonel candidates, who were nominated for their dedication, leadership, citizenship, responsibility, and reliability. Three out of the top four "Lieutenant Colonel" finalists were from Poway Unified schools: Ashtyn Seger, Morning Creek Elementary; Kaylia Navarro, Los Peñasquitos Elementary; and Evan Cox, Sunset Hills Elementary. As part of a rigorous selection process, the students submitted a written essay and interviewed with a panel of two police officers and two civilians. Ashtyn shared, "When I was picked as a SSP Colonel candidate, I was so excited and proud I was a candidate but I was also nervous. I worked hard, prepared and here I am today, honored to be a Colonel. I would say to everyone out there: Never give up for what you believe in and what you want to achieve. Always be happy and be yourself and you will succeed in life."
Ashtyn serves as the Captain of the safety patrol at Morning Creek Elementary School, located in the Sabre Springs community, under the guidance of School Resource Officer David Valdez (pictured with Ashtyn above). Officer Valdez guides and trains members of the safety patrol, investing time and energy into building strong student leaders. He nominated Ashtyn, Kaylia, and Evan for the Colonel application process, recognizing their many contributions to their safety patrol squads.
Her teacher, Kendall Brown, describes Ashtyn as a leader inside and outside of the classroom. Her principal, Dr. Sheryl Fleming added, "She is always someone who goes above and beyond to make the world a better place." Ashtyn's commitment on safety patrol includes getting to school early to help with morning drop-off and leaving class early at the end of the day to help keep pick-ups safe. Ashtyn explained, "Safety patrol has taught me how to be a leader in and out of school. Safety patrol to me is not the fun activities and the special privileges (sure those are fun) but safety patrol is about helping people get to school safely and being a role model for younger students." Ashtyn and her fellow Safety Patrol members can be seen every morning and afternoon, in their bright red shirts and hats, helping to control the flow of traffic and pedestrians.