Most students recognize the man in a gray coat, blue jeans, and work boots driving around campus, collecting trash, and greeting teachers. Nevertheless, they do not know his name.
They do not know that he is a Filipino food fanatic or has been married for 26 years. This is Gary Hogan, one of Carlmont’s custodians.
According to Merriam-Webster, custodians are responsible for looking after something. In Hogan’s case, he looks after Carlmont. Through his work, he helps make the school look presentable to students, staff, and visitors. While custodial work often goes unnoticed by most students, a sanitary environment is key to creating a campus students want to be on.
“I don’t really know him, but I’ve seen him walking around, and without custodians, things would really start to smell because people leave their trash all over the place,” said Anya Chitlangia, a senior.
Sophia Lee, a freshman, is also unfamiliar with Hogan but recognizes the impact his work has on the school.
“School custodians are important because they have many responsibilities, like keeping the school clean and safe and cleaning and disinfecting classrooms,” Lee said.
Hogan graduated from Carlmont High School in 1984 and went straight to work. His first job was at the Bay Meadows Racetrack, where he worked for four years. After that, he worked in the Redwood City school district for 13 years.
“At the elementary schools, every time I picked up trash, the little kids would mimic me, pick up trash, and hand it to me. I wish they’d do it here like the little kids,” Hogan said.
Like other schools in the Bay Area, Carlmont is experiencing a rise in food waste. However, the food waste does not always end up in the garbage cans. They litter the campus grounds, sometimes between bushes or under benches.
“You don’t see it, but I see it. I’ll see pieces of paper here and there hiding. I don’t need to worry about sorting the trash because we pay the garbage company to sort them,” Hogan said.
Hogan has worked at Carlmont for 21 years and counting. He is satisfied with his job because it pays the bills, and he enjoys saying a quick hello and asking how teachers are doing when he passes by their classrooms.
“Sometimes the kids make a mess, but I try to get everything cleaned up so it looks presentable the next day because it reflects on me and the school,” Hogan said.
