Kansas Woman Named Key Custodian

Tennant Company has named Gladys Hernandez grand prize winner of its third annual Custodians Are Key contest, which rewards the work custodians are doing in K-12 schools across North America.

Hernandez, a custodian at Blue Valley CAPS in Overland, Kansas, was one of 12 finalists chosen from nearly 1,000 nominations from around the United States and Canada last fall. She will receive a US$15,000 prize package, which includes $5,000 for her and $10,000 for her school.

Hernandez was nominated by Blue Valley CAPS’ Foundations of Medicine Instructor Laura Benscheidt who pointed to Hernandez’s encouraging words for teachers and students and her willingness to give her time to help students as just a few of the many reasons she deserved the award.

“Gladys cares, she wants to provide a building for staff and students to learn in. She greets students and staff at the door with a smile and an encouraging word every day. She is often seen checking in with teachers to meet their daily needs,” said Benscheidt. “Gladys takes pride in knowing that the foundation of her work makes a difference in the ability of the students to learn and the teachers to teach.”

The fourth annual Custodians Are Key contest will kick off in September. Visit tennantco.com/custodian to learn more.