BYU–Hawaii student custodians in the Facilities Management department said they are grateful to have a job on-campus, and they want to contribute to maintaining a standard of cleanliness at a Church school and provide an environment that invites learning.
Finding joy at work
Yizhan He Yi, a junior from China majoring in information technology, said, “I think this is the Lord’s school, and I believe we need to keep it clean.” Yi added, “People have different opinions [about] this job, but I love it. I’m proud of my job. I think it’s a blessing.
Ikal Salaiau, a junior from Papua New Guinea majoring in business management, said as a leader in the workplace, she hopes students, staff and the BYUH community who use the facilities know the custodian services and staff care about everyone’s health, which is why they do their best to clean every day.
Extending words of encouragement, she added, “Be considerate and responsible. To help us keep the environment clean, treat it as your own home. Put all trash in the bins provided and use our facilities with great care.”
Yi said, “Although our job can be seen as just cleaning, there is much more to it than one might think. We learn how to clean and work in teams.
“Cleanliness becomes part of you when you understand the core values of respect, dignity, love and hard work as fundamentals in a great work environment.”
Yi emphasized, “The custodial services are under the BYUH Facilities Management department.
“Therefore, I would say our mission would be maintaining the physical environment, providing services to help fulfill the university’s mission, and providing a clean and safe environment for learning.”
Buyanbat Dagvadorj, a junior from Mongolia majoring in psychology, said, “I think this is the Lord’s school, and so we need to take care of it every day.”
He said he admires his coworkers for their teamwork and was motivated by keeping the environment clean by the duty he feels to serve others.
“A clean environment allows not only students but also the whole community to feel comfortable. It provides an environment that invites learning,” Dagvadorj said.
“Even though we are in the midst of a global pandemic, we are given jobs by the university in order to keep us surviving and [help us] move on with our lives.”
He said having a job to support his family is the greatest motivation in a difficult time like a global pandemic.
Salaiau explained, “I believe cleanliness is next to godliness, and so we do our best to make sure people enjoy a clean environment.”
She said she felt their job helped prevent the virus from spreading since they clean every day and follow the department’s cleaning standards.
Cleanliness is next to Godliness
“We also do this job because when we have a safe and clean environment. It invites the Spirit of the Lord,” Salaiau said. “I also have two kids, and so I am motivated every day to go to work to help support my family.”
Salaiau expressed working in a global pandemic “is very difficult. But I am doing my best to be safe by following the safety precautions at work since I have young kids at home who mean the world to me. Having this job allows me to support my education and take good care of my family financially.
“I hope we all take care of ourselves and keep the health precaution measures in whatever role you might have, knowing there are coworkers who have a family to return to after work.”
Dagvadorj explained the importance of his job and stressed, “This is similar to missionary work. We want people to enjoy the environment but also learn of the importance and vision of this school.
“All we do here is not only to satisfy the department’s goals but also in one way or another [we] contribute to the vision and mission of this great university.”