As students crowd in the hallways to go home after a long day at school, custodians stay behind to prepare the school for the next day.

Custodians like Bermudez are the backbone of the school helping maintain everything while everyone else has gone home. Custodians help by cleaning up trash, installing stuff, fixing things like doors, golf carts and sprinklers.

Bermudez has been working at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School for about 10 years. As a custodian Bermudez helps fix plumbing, air conditioners, golf carts, sprinklers, electricity and landscaping. He tries to help fix and find the problem of why something is not working so when other technicians come to the school to fix something the process goes by a lot quicker and easier.

“There’s so many things that I have to do as a custodian: plumbing, AC’s, sprinklers, installing things for the teacher, fixing the golf carts so many things that if I name it, you’d have a lot that I do,” Bermudez said.

Before working at MSD, Bermudez had a job in the printing industry. Bermudez got into being a custodian from his brother in law who was in the system and told him about this opportunity and how good it would be for him. He got help from his brother in law by leaving Connecticut and coming down to Florida where he has been a custodian ever since.

He enjoys making the school nice for the students as it is like a second home for them. Bermudez works to maintain the school and keep everything in order.

“I like to work with my hands. It makes me happy that I can create something and fix something,” Bermudez said.

Bermudez is happy about being named non-instructional staff member of the year because it shows how the school recognizes him for his work at the school. The award is given out to non-instructional staff members for their work throughout the year.

“They know I do a great job when something like that happens. It’s because you’re doing a great job. You put in your effort to maintain the school so it’s better for the students,” Bermudez said.

For the upcoming years, Bermudez wants to continue putting a lot of effort into making the school nice for the students and teachers. Making improvements to the school brings Bermudez joy and he wants to make sure the school is in a good condition.