A quiet ceremony marked a memorable moment for two TSA officers at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL). With coworkers and friends in attendance, Supervisory Transportation Security Officer (STSO) Velda Vanterpool pinned the tactical badge on Transportation Security Officer (TSO) Kanika Prosper, and Prosper presented Vanterpool with her length of service award.
Nice, right?
Yes, but it is also amazing when you learn these two officers are mother and daughter!
Vanterpool recalls she was working as a nurse in the U.S. Virgin Islands on 9/11.
In the aftermath of that horrific day, her younger brother joined the National Guard and was deployed to Afghanistan for 18 months.
Feeling she could and should do more, Vanterpool followed her brother’s example of public service and began her TSA journey as a part-time officer while still working as a nurse on the night shift; future TSO Prosper was only 8 years old at the time.
According to Prosper, her career choice was made when she was in middle school.
“At the time, (my mom) was a TSO and was practicing for her practical exam,” said Prosper. “She used me as a passenger and conducted a full body pat-down on me. From that moment, I knew her job was serious, and I wanted to be in the same field as her.”
When you love what you do and you feel it is more than just a job, it shows in all that you do. It is in the way you carry yourself, the way you speak to others and the way you treat others. Vanterpool’s passion has clearly been imprinted on her daughter, a newly minted TSO.
Reflecting on her daughter’s decision, Vanterpool said, “It was a sense of joy, knowing I started working at TSA when she was only 8 years old. I never thought she wanted to work at a government agency and would love it so much. I’m hoping she makes this a career.”
“I was extremely proud and very excited!” said Prosper, when asked how she felt about presenting her mother with her 20-year service award. “I was shocked as well. I didn’t realize she had worked for TSA for that long.”
The love and respect this mother and daughter have for each other and for their shared career is evident not only in their personal interactions, but also in the way they protect the traveling public.
“From the time I got to the Atlanta airport, I have heard nothing but positive things about my mom, from TSOs to the deputy assistant federal security director,” said Prosper. “I hope that I will be able to follow in her footsteps and be as great as, or better than, she is.”
As soon as Federal Security Director (FSD) Robert Spinden learned this fabulous mother/daughter team was part of the ATL family, he knew it was imperative that they share these milestones in a combined ceremony to honor their bond and impact on their coworkers.
Spinden said, “Their shared journey not only strengthened their bond as mother and daughter but also inspired their colleagues, showing the power of family, teamwork and a shared commitment to excellence.”
And Spinden knows of what he speaks as he added, “My thought in the moment, remembering the 12 years I worked with my dad at TSA, was that TSA is a family business.”
By Michele Robbins, TSA Strategic Communications & Public Affairs