Sallie Smith, a custodian at Johnnie Lay Burks Elementary, arrived at work in the morning as usual when the Clarke County School District superintendent approached her.
“I’m like, she must be here to talk to the kids. Then she called my name,” Smith said.
And for good reason: Smith had just been named the district’s Employee of the Month. Her reaction was a flurry of emotions.
“I’m nervous, surprised, glad all at the same time,” she said.
It was school nurse Natalie Keadle who nominated Smith for the award.
“She’s a hidden gem. She comes in every day. I mean, I’m like, 95% sure she’s the first person here,” Keadle said.
Smith’s performance as a custodian is all the more impressive considering her age.
“She actually said, ‘Make sure they know I’m 80,’ and I’m like, I will. I will,” Keadle said.
But in Smith’s eyes, it isn’t just her job to keep the building clean. She’s also on hand to offer emotional support to students.
“Well, you know, the new ones, if they’re crying or something, you know, I try to kind of help them out and talk to them, ask them, ‘What’s wrong, baby?’” she said.
Smith also introduced new initiatives to the school, such as buying blankets for the nurse’s office and saving snacks for hungry kids. According to the National Education Association, more than 90 percent of teachers spend their own money on school supplies for their classrooms.
I’m always thinking of what I can do,” Smith said.
Although she said the job is repetitive, it will never not be fulfilling.
“I love being here with these kids. I love it,” she said.
Sophia Stafford is a senior majoring in journalism at the University of Georgia.
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