October 2 is National Custodian Day, a day to recognize these essential members of the community who work every day to keep our buildings clean, comfortable and healthy. UW Facilities custodians are on campus 24 hours a day, with many of them beginning their day before 5 a.m. Outside of work, they are mothers, fathers and important members of their communities, with rich life stories.
Transitions can be hard. When I first moved to Washington, I went from living in a house in my hometown to sleeping in a powerboat that leaked from the roof above the sleeping area. As I lay awake listening to drops of water plopping on my pillow, I had plenty of time to think about the choices that led me and my new girlfriend, now wife, to this strange new place.
Student employees are an important part of the UW Facilities (UWF) family, with more than 90 working in varied functions across the department. Hands-on learning opportunities include helping customers at the UW Surplus store, educating the UW community about recycling, creating 3D models of mechanical rooms, helping to decide how to fund sustainability projects on campus and more.
We asked a few of our graduating student employees and interns how their time at UW Facilities helped prepare them for life after college. All interviews have been edited for length and clarity.
The UW's Distinguished Staff Award (DSA) is the University's highest staff honor, recognizing employees who exemplify excellence in collaboration, innovation, impact, career achievement, and diversity, equity and inclusion. Winners of the DSA are announced in May.
Don Satko has lived in the Puget Sound region all his life. He doesn’t remember there being many snowstorms growing up in the 1970s, but “now it seems like it's every year,” he said.
As a heavy equipment operator with UW Facilities, Satko sees the impact of snowier winters up close. He runs the snowplows, de-icer truck and other equipment used to keep the Seattle campus safe.
While more than 1,000 people work in UW Facilities, most employees interact with a much smaller set of colleagues in their day-to-day jobs. Mechanics work with other mechanics and custodians with other custodians in their individual areas or shops. Building cross-team awareness is one of the goals of Stepping Stones for Success, UWF’s longtime leadership program for front-line staff.
On a Friday morning, a dozen people dance around a hallway in the Physics/Astronomy Auditorium. Chatter and laughter fill the air, but there’s no music. They aren’t dancing with each other, and their partners aren’t people.
Internships take education beyond book learning to hands-on learning. Students get to put a skill or knowledge into practice ahead of their career journey — experience especially valuable for the UW Facilities interns who are graduating this year.
This article was updated on May 8 after it was announced that UW Facilities' Mike Morris won the DSA award for career achievement.
The UW's Distinguished Staff Award (DSA) is the University's highest staff honor, recognizing employees who exemplify excellence in collaboration, innovation, impact, career achievement, and diversity, equity and inclusion.
A lot has changed on the UW campus over the years. New buildings go up, old buildings get renovated and light rail tunnels down below. One thing remains constant: The cherry trees in the Quad bloom every March.
