Every day, as the students and teachers begin to leave the school, Brad Hensley starts his shift. As a night custodian, Hensley works hard to make sure that every corner of the school is spotless by morning.
“He goes unnoticed, but I think he puts in a lot of work to make the school better,” sophomore Catelyn Gaboury said.
Hensley started out in the mechanic field for 10 years but decided it wasn’t the best fit for him and switched to being a custodian. Hensley works hard to keep the school clean by vacuuming the classrooms and tidying up the bathrooms.
“My least favorite part of the job would probably be how the boys like to leave their bathroom,” Hensley said.
Hensley enjoys his job and passes the long hours by listening to music. Not only does Hensley work during the week, but he also works some events over the weekends. The student body and staff definitely appreciate the clean bathrooms and hallways, though they may not realize he is the face behind it.
“I love having Brad as part of the team. Not only does he do a great job, but he seems like a really nice friendly guy,” English teacher Jeff Lacey said. “He’s very involved when it comes to his family and I really respect him for that.”
As a father of three, Hensley balances the long hours of his job and the responsibilities that come with being a father. Hensley’s devotion to his children is especially evident in his care for his five-year-old daughter who has undergone both spinal and brain surgeries.
“It was rough when she was recovering, just cause she was in a lot of pain and had to regulate taking medicine that she’s not used to,” Hensley said.
His daughter is part of the reason why he changed occupations; Hensley wanted to be able to spend more time with his kids and to aid his daughter in her recovery.
“When I was working my old job, I felt like I couldn’t take time off, even if I was sick or anything,” Hensley said.
Hensley tries to go to all of his kids’ activities and often is able to take time off to make it to these things because of his flexible work schedule.
“Being here until 11:30 pm isn’t fun, but having weekends off is worth it,” Hensley said.
Through Hensley’s hard work and unwavering love for his family, Hensley embodies the strength and dedication of custodian workers, whose contributions are often overlooked.
