The custodians of Kennesaw State are an integral part of maintaining a clean, safe and healthy environment for the students, faculty and staff of the university.
They have a fast-paced job that is always changing, with new tasks and demands that arise every second. Despite this, the custodians of the school often exude a happy and friendly attitude to everyone they encounter.
Custodian Kathy Bell explains they the custodians start the day at 4:30 a.m. to begin cleaning the restrooms, classrooms and maintaining the buildings.
Their job comes with many challenges, from the uncertainty of equipment breaking down to having to tolerate negative behavior.
“My job is hard at times, but I know my work reflects myself,” Bell said. “In the end, we are here for the students.”
Bell has been with KSU for nine years and said she loves the environment of the university. In her off time, she loves to go to Marietta Square and church to relax after a long week at work.
Throughout the day, these custodians work tirelessly to provide quality service around the school — service that often goes unnoticed and taken for granted.
These custodians clean it all, from the trash left on tables and spilled drinks on the floor to unflushed toilets and graffiti on the wall. Because of this, KSU custodians would like students to be mindful of the trash they choose to leave behind.
Custodian Jesus Soto believes that communication is the key to helping maintain campus cleanliness.
“We all need to be more self-conscious,” Soto said. “We are here for [students], we want the place to be nice for everybody. We just want for them to be more aware and self-conscious [because] we have to clean it no matter how small the task is.”
Soto has been cleaning for more than two decades and got into this field of work to provide financial stability for himself and his family. He has been with the university for almost eight years now.
Kimberly “Shay” Abston has been in the cleaning industry for nearly 30 years and has been picking up cleaning jobs to provide for her family as well.
Abston loves being in the environment that universities offer, such as being around students. In 1992, she applied to KSU and has been a custodian here for 27 years.
“I’m a people person so I like being around lots of people and it helps that everyone is friendly around here,” Abston said.
The custodians love the atmosphere of the university and love seeing the joy they can bring to the different people they interact with.
Bell recalls a time when she was cleaning in the student center at the bottom of the steps. A student came to her and asked her what shoe size Bell wore.
“I told her size 10, and the next day I was in the same place cleaning and she had bought me a pair of shoes,” Bell said. “I never forgot that. It really made my day, and those are the type of things I really love about the students.”
All of the custodians concur that it is a good job, but it would be nice if their wages matched the hard work they do. After all, the job is essential to the well-being and cleanliness of the university.
