Sweeping into action: DeVoe, Dunn added to building staff

On December 8, alumna Taylor DeVoe returned to North Harford as a new custodian. Also this school year on September 20, Vertina Dunn was contracted through another company named ABM to work at The Nest.

     “It was surreal being back in the building,” mentions DeVoe. “Walking the halls brought back so many memories for me,” she continues. When DeVoe was a student, she said she tried to make her experience fun. She enjoyed school because she was able to see her friends and had “some awesome teachers, some of which are still teaching!”

     Dunn thinks her experience working at North Harford has been enjoyable so far. “I really like it here. I like the atmosphere,” she comments. “I have had a corporate desk job for the past 15 years,” she continues, and believes adjusting to her job has been the hardest part so far.

     Before becoming a custodian, DeVoe had two jobs. She first worked as a secretary for A1 Pump Service and “took calls, scheduled jobs, and filed paperwork.” DeVoe then worked as a residential cleaner for the Cleaning Authority. “I actually cleaned Mr. Steven’s house while I worked there,” she mentions. In the future, DeVoe hopes to become the head custodian of a building.

     DeVoe states that being a custodian is “‘like a box of chocolates’, you never know what is going to happen on any given day.” So far, she has been surprised by a broken water pipe and a drain overflowing and flooding the floor. At the same time, she believes her job can get repetitive. “You have the same list of ‘to do’s’ everyday,” she mentions.

     “My job is never the same or boring,” thinks Dunn. “[Custodians] always have a new task or project that pops up. Although I like consistency I enjoy the projects” she states.

     DeVoe also sees her job as a line of defense for the school and its students, stating how custodians don’t just clean up after students but also “are here to protect [students].” Along with protecting them from germs, custodians are “one of the front linemen who keep the building secure.” DeVoe says that if they see people or activities they aren’t certain about, they make sure to let administration or the Student Resource Officer know.

     Dunn appreciates the students that have come to know her by name. She enjoys it when they come up to say hi to her, and act with kindness. “I enjoy watching [them] evolve and become young adults,” she continues. Dunn looks forward to meeting new students in the future as well.

    “I would say the hardest part about being a custodian is the snow days,” DeVoe comments. She mentions how she and the other custodians still have to travel in the snow and icy conditions to clean off the sidewalks, making sure the building is safe for students and staff.