Joe Ortiz – late shift, 2:30 to 11 pm

   Ortiz has dedicated the past 12 years to being a custodian at Gabrielino, after working at Roosevelt Elementary School for three years. While he may appear gruff on the surface, he cares deeply about those he works with and keeping the campus clean.

   “I get nothing but good vibes when it comes to other teachers that come here,” Ortiz said. “Teachers and parents come in and they always say, ‘God, your campus is clean, our school is clean.’ […] It makes me feel good because we are doing our job for these kids and for the teachers.”

   As a custodian, Ortiz must balance his regular maintenance of the campus with time-consuming extra requests. Juggling these responsibilities can be strenuous and underappreciated, but Ortiz takes pride in doing his duty properly.

   “Just thinking about the teachers and the kids, […] when people say thank you, you’re doing a good job, that right there just makes me feel good,” he said. “I’m not here to impress, I’m just here to do my job.”