Niceville High SRO celebrated as a Local Hero with a $1,000 Prize

NICEVILLE, Fla. — Niceville High School Resource Officer Tori Mason has been named one of four statewide finalists in the “CGI Heroes: Celebrating Strength” contest.

Mason, a deputy with the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, has been awarded a $1,000 cash prize in the contest. She now is in the running for a $5,000 grand prize.

Sponsored by Hialeah-based CGI Windows & Doors, part of the PGT Innovations family of brands, the annual competition recognizes Florida residents who have gone above and beyond to help others.

The contest’s grand prize winner will be selected from the four initial winners and will be determined by Florida residents who vote online beginning May 13. The grand prize winner will be announced on June 1, 2021.

Click here to vote for the grand prize winner.

Passionate about helping kids and serving others, Niceville High School Resource Officer Tori Mason is a single mom who dedicates her time to serving on the Sheriff’s Office Dive Team, instructs at the Teen Driver Challenge Program, and recently launched a fellowship of Christian Police Officers.

Mason is known for going above and beyond to assist students at whatever school she is assigned and creating safe learning environments and positive interactions between herself and students.

She regularly fundraises for families in need and can always be found helping her fellow officers or community members.

 

 

“I absolutely love my job. It allows me to provide a positive law enforcement interaction with kids, which in many cases is the complete opposite if we are responding to investigate abuse, a domestic disturbance, or even a traffic violation,” said Mason, who first began work as an SRO at Plew Elementary School in Niceville.

“Working as an SRO helps provides kids with a good first relationship with law enforcement and lets them know we are there to help them.”

Mason recently transferred to Niceville High School and is making the transition from elementary school children to teenagers.

“It’s like day and night, but awesome. I enjoy playing a positive supportive role at a time when they really need it and offering an extra push of confidence if they don’t get it at home,” she said.

“I can be that person who they can come in and talk to about anything. If it can make a difference in how they perceive law enforcement and know that I’ll take the time to see them as people, see past color and gender, it’s worth it. I wear this uniform but when I take it off, I’m a person just like they are, and I try to get them to know that’s how I see them.”

“Tori is a positive force to be reckoned with and her incredible legacy of service is noteworthy,” said Bob Keller, President of the Southeast Business Unit for PGT Innovations, CGI’s parent company.

“Her compassion for people and students is unending and is certainly worthy of recognition.”

Mason’s boyfriend and fellow officer nominated her for the CGI Celebrating Strength award. Here is some of what he said about Mason:

“Over the past year, despite COVID-19, she has continued to work, day in and day out for her community. Tori has created not only a safe learning environment for the students but has developed an even stronger family bond with the faculty and staff. Tori has volunteered to attend the Florida Youth Ranch Camp Sorenson this year and utilized money she had fundraised in her school safety account to purchase a new canoe for the camp. In addition to all of the above, Tori is a single mother to a seven-year-old daughter and actively pursuing her Master’s Degree in Public Administration. Serving her community is what Tori lives for.”

Not surprisingly, Mason is extremely humble about her nomination.

“I think I had such a good childhood and had so many supportive individuals in my life, especially my parents, that I want to pay it forward,” she said.

“Children are vulnerable and unless you have someone who’s there to protect them, they are like little ducks out there on their own and I don’t want any of them to feel like they don’t have a family or a home.”

Read more about Niceville High School Resource Officer Tori Mason here.