“Life as a janitor is not easy,” said Cruz, one of the school’s janitors. He has been working for the school for five years and serves as the lead for the night crew, which shifts usually from 2 PM to 11 PM. He loves it when students approach him to talk. Seeing them appreciate his work brings him joy. He especially treasures the posters they leave for him, like the one displayed in the cafeteria. On his days off, he enjoys golfing, a hobby he has pursued for 15 to 20 years.

Julian is the outdoor janitor. His shift runs from 8 AM to 4:30 PM. He starts his day by walking around the school to collect trash before heading to the stadium to clean it up. He scrubs the bathrooms and ensures everything looks tidy. Julian takes pride in his hard work, including mowing all the grass on the school grounds. On days when he feels reluctant to work, he thinks about his family and the bills he has to pay.

“Sometimes I see students throw trash right in front of me, and I feel disheartened,” he said. He doesn’t mind picking up after them, but he finds it disrespectful that they don’t care to clean up after themselves.

The team head, Oscar, has been working here for over 20 years. He arrives at 6 AM to turn on all the lights in the school. He then begins his day by cleaning the bathrooms, which can often be left in a big mess.

“I don’t understand why they make such a mess since they are the ones using them,” he remarked.

When I asked if he liked working here, he replied, “I do. It’s good. I should have stayed in school and pursued a career as an electrician; those jobs pay a lot.”