Every morning and every afternoon, at one of the busiest points in Key Biscayne, you\u2019ll find Karla Bardales.<\/p>\n
Standing at Crandon Boulevard. Watching. Protecting. Guiding.<\/p>\n
For Karla, being a crossing guard with the Village of Key Biscayne, in partnership with the Key Biscayne Police Department, is not just a job.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a gift,\u201d she says. \u201cA gift from God.\u201d<\/p>\n
For her, every child who crosses that street matters.<\/p>\n
\u201cKids are the future,\u201d she said. \u201cWe must protect them, care for them and help them grow with confidence.\u201d<\/p>\n
When Karla arrives for her shift, she lets go of everything else. She is fully present and the children feel it.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Karla in action at her crosswalk.<\/p>\n
Viviana Roque<\/p>\n
They trust her. They share their stories, their joys, their fears, their vacations, even moments when they feel alone or bullied. One day, a child proudly showed her a story he had written about a dream, on his way to share it in class.<\/p>\n
Karla listens. She has become more than a crossing guard. She is a safe place.<\/p>\n
Parents see it too. Mothers tell her she treats their children with a loving, motherly touch. A grandmother once told her she felt she already knew Karla, because her family spoke about her so often.<\/p>\n
Karla calls Key Biscayne su tierra prometida (their promised land.)<\/p>\n
She believes every child deserves to be heard. She speaks up when something is not right. She works closely with KBPD under Lieutenant Santiago’s guidance and stays in constant contact with parents, always with one goal: to protect the children.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are like sponges,\u201d she says. \u201cWhat we say to them stays.\u201d<\/p>\n
Karla arrived in Miami in May 2015 and has served this island since June of that same year.<\/p>\n
Her purpose is simple: nurture the love that lives here. Life taught her that time is not guaranteed. After losing her father, she understood something deeply:<\/p>\n
Give love now. And every day, on that corner, she does.<\/p>\n
I am caring. I am protection. I am Key Biscayne.<\/p>\n
You might recognize them as you pass them around the Island, but do you really know them, their story and what makes them who they are? Soy \/ I\u2019m is a new Islander News feature, conceived by photographer Viviana Roque (@viviroquephoto<\/a>) and Carolina Pacheco, two Key Biscayne residents driven by a simple curiosity: to go beyond the familiar and capture the individuality, spirit and stories that make this Island unique.<\/p>\n