Though Rene Royal is the latest addition to Marshall’s security team, she is far from a naïve newcomer. As she becomes Marshall’s first female security guard after a 30-year career as a police officer, Royal is looking forward to the future in both her career and personal life.
Prior to joining the Marshall staff, Royal served three years as a state trooper and 27 years with the Fairfax sheriff’s office. The opportunity to work on the side of both law and order was rewarding but stressful, making Marshall a welcome change of pace.
“The atmosphere here is more personal and relaxed,” Royal said. “I love working with young people.”
Royal especially enjoys “watching [students] grow and … [become] their own person. They are still at an age where they can reshape themselves.”
The chance to impact and support students is what drew Royal to Marshall, as her own conviction to personal growth has always been in the forefront of her life, ranging from athletic to artistic to academic pursuits.
“I dropped out of college in my senior year to become a state trooper.” Royal said. “But I always wanted to go back and get my degree.”
Despite demands of her job and her home life of raising two daughters, Royal decided to go back to school in 2005 by taking night classes. Between demands at home and the demands of her job, Royal slept an average of four hours per night.
“It was a rigorous schedule,” Royal said. “I just kept telling myself ‘it’s only two years, it’s only two years.'”
Outside of Marshall, Royal jogs regularly and practices calligraphy while maintaining a small wedding-card business based on her artistic skills. Both are self-taught, self-maintained practices that provide a nice contrast to the stress and rigor of her daily life.
“Coming home, being a mom is wonderful! But it takes so much energy and you have to push yourself to the side a bit. So I try to leave spaces for myself to grow, in between the chaos of work and everything,” Royal said.
Royal’s two daughters seem to have inherited their mother’s artistic and athletic talents, with her older daughter pursuing a career in fine art while her younger daughter plays on a regional basketball team.
Eventually, Royal hopes to retire and move to Delaware with her then-husband, living by the ocean, relaxing against the beautiful landscape and finally breaking away from the rigour and intensity of both her personal and professional life.
“I’m looking forward to breathing in the air, refocusing myself and spending time with [my husband].” Royal said. “After everything that’s been going on, everything I’ve done and worked on the past few years, I’m looking forward to settling down.”