While the student body hardly ever sees them working, these students are the unsung heroes of Sunny Hills.
Senior Chloe Sepulveda and junior Eduardo Villacrez work out of sight but ensure parts of the campus are kept tidy and running smoothly.
Villacrez roams the campus picking up trash and sanitizing classrooms as a student custodial worker while Sepulveda similarly helps the cafeteria workers with distributing school lunches and cleaning the kitchens.
Both positions involve assisting custodians and cafeteria workers during their shifts.
The duties of the student custodians primarily involve taking out trash, wiping down classroom desks, dusting and picking up trash throughout the campus.
“I like having them around [because] they’re very helpful,” said Andres Alvarado, the student custodian supervisor. “A lot of times we’re short-handed, so having them to help us is always very appreciated.”
While most duties are a breeze for the junior, he said some can be particularly tiresome to deal with.
“Coming back to the same place I cleaned yesterday and seeing it even more dirty just makes me [frustrated],” he said. “But, there are no [tasks] I don’t like doing.”
Villacrez, who joined the cleaning crew in December and works every day from 3:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m., uses cleaning supplies like wet wipes and spray bottles, provided by the custodians, and follows a path along the campus that controls the order in which he performs his duties.
While students may not immediately notice a difference in the campus, Alvarado believes custodians contribute immensely to the wellbeing of the school.
“Cleaning the whole campus is not as easy as they say, but people say, ‘Oh there are a couple guys out there that clean, we can just leave some trash around,’” Alvarado said. “No, we only have four guys and then there are [school] events and things like that, and it can get pretty busy for us all.”
While the custodians work after school, Sepulveda and the cafeteria workers operate during school hours from 7:30 a.m.-9:15 a.m. every day and during break and lunch.
Since working as a student cafeteria worker for the past seven months, the senior’s duties typically involve sorting food into boxes, getting food and fruits ready for lunch and separating them between the Roundhouse and cafeteria.
The student workers said they initially discovered their positions via word from friends, daily school announcements and flyers school officials hung around the cafeteria, Roundhouse and office.
“I heard one of my friends talking about it with one of the [cafeteria] ladies and I thought, ‘Oh, that would be pretty easy to do,’” Sepulveda said.
All student workers are paid $15.50 an hour for their work, but they are offered flexible work schedules that can fit their needs whenever necessary.
“We prioritize the students first, so school activities come first then the job itself,” said Jacqueline Quiroz, the student cafeteria worker supervisor. “For example, if Chloe can’t come in one day, she can just email us and let us know.”
Although applications are currently closed until the next school year, both Quiroz and Alvarado hope to see more student workers apply for the position next semester and would gladly accept any new applicants.
Students can inquire about the positions via the front office or through Alvarado and Quiroz, with positions remaining open until near the end of every school year.
Both supervisors are looking for applicants to simply be able to follow directions and to communicate clearly.
“Just be responsible, on time, and have a good attitude when you come to work,” Alvarado said. “That’s all we’re asking for.”
