Custodians and Grounds Employees Celebrate Success Like No Others, Handing Out Scholarships to Students Across All Education Levels

The auditorium at Fremont High School was buzzing with excitement on Saturday, May 9 for a celebration like few others. The District's Custodial and Grounds teams held their 14th Annual Equity for All Students Scholarship Ceremony to celebrate 15 remarkable young people, and hand out scholarships to each one. The scholarships ranged in value from $300 for an Early Childhood student to $2,000 for a graduating senior, totalling about $15,000.

As the name of the event indicates, District staff members have handed out these scholarships Oakland students 14 of the past 16 years - excluding the first two years of the COVID pandemic. Every year, the Custodial and Grounds teams hold this event to ensure that select students receive the recognition they deserve for all the hard work they put in. "We believe that it's important to motivate, and that's what this is about. Motivating kids to continue their education. Letting them know that if you do well in school, you will be rewarded, not just in school but in life, later on," said Roland Broach, Executive Director of Custodial Services.

The custodial team holds fundraisers every year to raise up to $20,000 for the scholarships. Broach's message for the people behind this effort is simple. "You can be proud of what you do, and another thing, you can take it to another level. And you can actually give back as a custodian. So, you're doing something that no other custodial department in the country, probably in the world, is even doing."

In the ceremony, the scholarship recipients sat together on stage, as their families and educators sat in the audience cheering them on. The students were clearly moved by the recognition, and know what it means to have adults at their school care so much about them that they take it upon themselves to raise money to create these scholarships. "It represents how much I've learned, and what I've done over the years in elementary school," said Jesus C., a 5th grader at Piedmont Avenue Elementary who received a $400 scholarship. It's clear that the message behind the scholarships is sinking in. "I think I should keep pushing so I can get more awards and keep moving on in life so I can be more successful."

Families and school staff got the chance to share their words of encouragement for the scholarship recipients. Edana Anderson is the Community School Manager at Claremont Middle School where recipient Larry C. is in the 8th grade. He received a $500 scholarship. "The moment Larry walked onto the Claremont campus, his thoughtfulness and presence have been felt by everyone. He exemplifies what it means to be a true Claremont Knight, and our values of being compassionate, mindful, and safe… He upholds the equity for all standards, always having a positive attitude, perfect attendance for the last three years, never tardy to class, and best of all, he is an honor roll scholar who will end the year with a 4.0 GPA," Anderson said to a roar from the audience.

President Jennifer Brouhard and Director Clif Thompson from the Board of Education were on hand to help hand out scholarships. "When you think about it, who do the kids know most at their school but custodians? And how many of the kids have conversations with the custodians, and to see them give back like this, it was beautiful. I had a few moments of tears," said President Brouhard.

The biggest winner of the day was Talia P., a graduating senior at Oakland Tech, who is heading to Michigan State University in the fall where she plans to study agricultural engineering. She received the $2,000 scholarship. And in fact, Superintendent Dr. Denise Saddler pledged to also give her another $1,000 scholarship per year for her four years of college. "To get this award means a lot in college and going forward in life. It just shows how much I have accomplished in my school work and my academics. Yeah, it just means a lot," she said.

Talia's father, Jonathan was also moved by her scholarship. "I'm proud of her, and it speaks volumes… she doesn't take any thing lightly. She's gritty, she does the hard work. And we are very appreciative as a family that she received this scholarship."

School principals, teachers, and custodial staff nominate students for these annual scholarships. If you are interested in having your student nominated for next year's scholarships, please check in with your school principal in the fall. The standards for winners derive from what Custodial calls the 3 I's and 3 A's: Intelligence, Inspirational, Intentional, Academics, Attendance, and Attitude.