In celebration of Custodian Appreciation Week, leadership class and the Student Government Association teamed together to honor the custodians and other hard working staff members within the school.

SGA Executive Council Member Becky Owsalt is the student assigned to the Celebrate South Lakes branch of the leadership class, which is in charge of the celebrations for this week, as well as all South Lakes appreciatory works.

“My agency and I wanted to do something to celebrate the custodians and the food service workers because they do so much for us,” Oswalt said.

Together, the group has spent the week giving a variety of gifts to faculty members within the Seahawk community, ranging from personalize cards to baked goods.

To wrap up the week the Leadership class hosted a party in the custodian lounge on Friday, decorating the room with festive streamers and laying out a spread of food in honor of the faculty members.

Head custodian of ten years Balbina Merino was grateful to the leadership class for hosting the event, stating that students have only been recognizing custodian appreciation week for the last two year.

“It’s the first time in ten years that I have seen this area decorated,” Merino said. “It looks very, very good.”

The spread was open to all members of the school faculty, including members such as Alan Sananikone, an eight year South Lakes veteran who is the singular operating engineer within the school. His main job is to maintain the building and take care of the HVAC units.

“I choose this career because it is challenging and I love it,” Sananikone said. “I have to come into work every morning and face new problems. I have to trouble shoot everything and everything is not exactly the same. Everything is new, every time. I might have the same problem, but it is in a different way.”

Sananikone enjoyment of his job is not unusual at South Lakes, with other staff members stating their appreciation not only for the week’s event, but for the community that they work with all year round.

“I just enjoy working with the people and I like my job,” Merino said. “I feel like this is my second house.”