Pittsburgh High School Custodian Receives Top Award

Cintas Corp. has named Mike Heiry the 2021 Cintas Custodian of the Year^®.

The contest, now in its eighth year, called for elementary, middle, high-school, and college students, in addition to staff, to submit a short essay describing why their school’s custodian deserves the award. Heiry, a custodian at North Allegheny Intermediate High School in Pittsburgh, earned 20% of the contest’s total votes cast for the 10 national finalists.

“Whether it’s being a role model or providing a safe and healthy environment for students, this contest celebrates the important—and often overlooked—role custodians play in schools,” said Sean Mulcahey, Cintas marketing manager. “It’s clear that Mike is a beloved member of the North Allegheny Intermediate community, and we are thrilled to honor Mike as this year’s 2021 Cintas Custodian of the Year.”

Nearly 800 students surprised Heiry at a ceremony hosted in the high school’s auditorium featuring a marching band drumline and posters created by the student government organization. As the winning custodian, Heiry received a cash prize of US$10,000 and an additional $5,000 in Rubbermaid Commercial Products and Cintas products for his school. North Allegheny Intermediate High School will also receive a comprehensive training and development package from ISSA valued at $20,000 and enrollment in the GBAC Fundamentals Online Course, provided by the Global Biorisk Advisory Council™ (GBAC), a Division of ISSA. The nine runners-up each received $1,000 and free tuition to one ISSA Cleaning Management Institute (CMI) training event, valued at up to $1,500.

In the episode of Straight Talk! below, Heiry shares the details of winning the award and offers his insight on the value of a custodian.