Tammy Anderson isn’t just a school crossing guard for the Beasley Academic Center in the Washington Park neighborhood. It’s a neighborhood staple.

Every morning and afternoon, you can find the 52-year-old on the corner of 53rd and State Street, bringing smiles to everyone who walks by with her unique dance moves and searing energy.

“She’s going to light up this whole street,” said Sandra Johnson, a mother of Beasley Academic Center students. “Tammy, that’s our daughter.”

Tammy is one of 600 school crossing guards who work for Chicago Public Schools. Her job is to make sure students, parents and staff can cross the street safely. But it’s her way of doing things that sets her apart from the rest.

“She has this infectious smile, she always dances or waves and everyone loves it,” said Karen Yeatman, Tammy’s supervisor. “She has a genuine interest in her community…she comes to serve this intersection and she does it with pride and dignity.”

The mother of three has been a school crossing guard for Chicago Public Schools since 2016. And in a short time, she’s become a popular icon.

“When I started, right there, I was bored waiting for the kids and then one day someone waved at me… I waved back, then it got contagious and i just started, hey!” Tammy said.

This contagious energy comes naturally… rain or shine. She moves and dances to the rhythm of Gospel music every day, never missing a beat. It’s a kind of training, she says. An impromptu daily dance routine that she says helped her lose around 100 pounds in two years.

“She does it from the heart. She doesn’t do it for pay or for recognition, she does it because it’s what she loves,” said Sandra Johnson.

And judging by all the honks and hand signals from passing drivers, the community loves it too.

“When someone comes back and tells me I brought them joy… when someone comes back and tells me I was having a bad day until I walked through that intersection… that makes my day “, said Tammy. “I bless the streets before I come out here, so they can be covered with joy and have a happy day when they pass.”