Some teenagers work at fast food places, some work at grocery stores, but not me. As a student of ADM high school, I work as the school’s one and only student custodian. 

One day, as I do every day, I received the school’s daily announcements. This particular email, however, was special as it would be the beginning of my job. In the middle of the announcements, the custodial staff mentioned a potential way to make money by helping them out after school. I took note of this and took an application from the counselor’s office. I went through the typical application process, and on January 25th of 2023, I started my new job.

A usual day for me is not extremely consistent. My work hours usually depend on the weather and necessity, but I generally have a shift every day after school until 6:30. The tasks I have for the day are the primary source of inconsistency in my job. I always rush over to the maintenance office right after school, clock in and begin my tasks. I will receive some form of communication from my boss if extra help is needed. If this happens, they explain what I need to do, but if not, I just continue what I was told to do prior and then figure it out from there. I go to the classrooms and empty their recycling bins, clean the bathrooms and vacuum the halls. That is my favorite part of my job. I enjoy getting to ride around on the vacuum, say hello to the students and give high fives.

While I can understand why this job could seem awkward at first, I can attest that it is not. My work is generally very hands-on, which can be different from some teenage jobs, but my relationship with my coworkers is completely average. I work with the custodial staff at the school and I have never felt out of place with them. I feel like they respect me for who I am. Even though I am a student custodian, they appreciate my help.

As of recently, my workload has been a little bit heavier than usual. Currently, I have a fellow coworker who’s off work because of surgery, so I have some extra tasks. I’ve had to clean the middle school hallways on top of the high school, so it can be a little challenging. This challenge is a lot easier to bear by communicating with the rest of the custodial staff. During this job, I have noticed my communication skills have been extremely improved and challenged. 

I have noticed quite a few improvements in my skill set that I believe I have gained through this job. Recently, I have noticed a significant improvement in my confidence which I have attributed to my custodial work. I also believe that I have learned to be more open and understand others better.

I can say in all honesty that I enjoy my job. While it may be gritty and dirty in the eyes of some, I find it rewarding, challenging and fun. As of right now, I don’t have any future career ideas in mind, but I can see in some way continuing my work at ADM after my education here comes to a close.