California School Custodian Rises to District Superintendent

Dr. Reyes Guana was recently named superintendent of the Byron Union School District in Byron, Calif.

What makes Guana’s promotion unique is that he has been working in the school district for more than two decades. He began his career as a school custodian in nearby Lodi, Calif., 23 years ago and has worked his way up the educational ladder step-by-step, attending an online college to earn his teaching degree., KRON-TV reports.

“I was fortunate to be a custodian, worked for Ramona Unified and then I was a campus safety monitor in Stockton, then a vice principal,” Guana said. At all stages of his career, Guana has made it a point to get to know the students, who affectionally refer to him as “Mr. G.”

“We have to be one with them,” he said. “We can’t lead from our office. We can’t lead from far away, just watching them and hoping that they do okay. You need to get in there, roll up your sleeves.”