Students walk through clean halls but they don’t know how they got so clean. In reality, the custodians are the ones who make it possible for students to attend a clean and beautiful school. They tidy up bathrooms, open the school, and clean up any mess that a student might make.

In order for the school to function correctly, the custodians have to proceed with daily routines.

“ I usually wake up around six in the morning and drive to school. Then when all of the custodians get here we unlock all the doors of the school. We tidy up and clean after all the students have eaten in the morning,” custodian Bryan Griffin said.

Contrary to popular belief, cleaning is not a custodian’s only job.

“During the day we usually just keep a watch on the building and respond to any emergency calls that comes in. Sometimes trucks will come in with supplies or books for the school and we’ll have to unload them and bring them into to the school. After the day is done I usually don’t leave the school until around 2:15,” Griffin said.

Even in doing such a tedious job, the custodians still make an effort to make connections with the students.

“A girl that graduated three or four years ago, that I can’t remember the name of, always stays in touch with me. She never misses my birthday or Christmas. She will always stop by to see and talk to me,” Custodian Deloris May said.

May enjoys her job, but sometimes encounters some ups and downs.

“I enjoy my job very much. Most students will respect me, but some children are very nasty to me and act like they don’t have any home training,” May said.

Many wonder why custodians would take on such a hard job.

“ Life started very early for me. I started having kids at the age of 17. So after graduation I needed a job. I started working at Brenco after my graduation. After two years of working at Brenco I had gotten laid off.

After getting laid off from his job, Griffin was needed another job.

“I was in need of a job and the high school was hiring so I took the job. I actually graduated from Prince George High School so I felt right at home. I’ve been working here now for about 30 years.  I’m a Royal for life,” Griffin said.

Some custodians have a more personal connection with the students.

“ I’ve coached many students at the school, many of which still call and keep in touch. There are some kids that I used to know that I see on the street or at the mall. There are two girls in particular that I still keep in touch with. Their names are Domonique Porter and Latisha Moore,” Griffin said.

With the rigors of custodial work being laborious, it is easy to predict that custodians would not like their job, but Griffin enjoys every moment of his job.

“I really enjoy meeting with the kids. I also enjoy talking and catching up with them. I usually get a lot of respect from the kids because I’m cool with them, or I may coach some of them,” Griffin said.

Custodians play a big part in student’s high school years. They are the ones who prepare the school for them. They get up early, they open the doors, and they clean up all the students’ messes at the end of the day.

“The kids are the ones that put a smile on my face everyday. They are the reason I come back,” Griffin said.