In many ways, custodians are the unsung heroes of Air Academy and schools across the country. Custodians spend their days gathering and emptying trash, sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, cleaning bathrooms, cleaning spills and hazards, washing windows walls and glass, changing light bulbs, etc. Generally, people think custodian services is a simple field to go into; they disregard the tedious and sometimes dangerous work that two million plus custodians across the nation do every day. Most people don’t understand the contributions these custodians provide to our daily life. Custodians give their lives to their jobs, yet their work often goes unnoticed. Schools across the country have tried to solve this problem by celebrating the annual “Custodian Appreciation Day” on October 2. Custodian Appreciation Day is a good idea, except for the fact that even custodian appreciation day itself is often overlooked. By the time it rolls around, only a small group of students and staff show their appreciation.

I wanted to take this opportunity to feature just a few of the many custodians who work here at Air Academy. After all, small amounts of recognition can go a really long way. I compiled a list of fun questions to ask them about themselves. I really enjoyed learning new things about them, people who I had previously passed by without speaking a word. What I found was surely worth sharing.

Dave

Dave has worked at Air Academy for five years. When he’s not working, he likes to work out, run, and read. His favorite part of Air Academy is the wrestling team, because his sons used to wrestle and it brings back fond memories. His favorite holidays are the ones he doesn’t work, because he can relax and hang out with his family. A little known fact is that his favorite time of day is 2:30. Additionally, he possesses many hidden talents- but if he shared them all, they would no longer be hidden. Despite this, Dave did admit that one of his many hidden talents is messing with kids.

Tim

Tim has worked at Air Academy for twelve years, and his favorite part of his job is meeting and getting to know new people who go to the school. In his free time, he likes to spend time with his family. If he could live anywhere in the world, he would probably go somewhere warm, like Hawaii. If he could have any superpower, it would definitely be to fly, and his favorite season will always be summer. When I ask Tim what makes him laugh, he jokingly said “liberals!”

By taking just 10 minutes out of my day to talk to the janitors, I had the opportunity to get to know two incredible staff members that I had never met before. I encourage everyone to take the time to get to know your janitors and thank them for all they do at our school.