Mike Huss, who worked as a California elementary school janitor, became the principal of the same school after some years.
Huss’s experience as the lone elementary school principal with the building extends far beyond his new role.
Good Morning America reports Muss as saying that he attended the school as a child and originally started working there as a janitor “because I didn’t want to attend school.
I’d fallen in love; I wanted to get a job and help my wife go through college,” Huss said of the job he held for over a decade.
So I just said, ‘Oh, they’ve got a school’s janitor job; I’ll take it,’ and it worked out. I didn’t know I would stay there for all these years.”
After being encouraged by the faculty to pursue teaching, Huss decided to go back to school to earn his degree when his son Matthew was 3.
“I wanted to show my young son that if your dad can do this, if your dad can be the school janitor [while] coaching youth sports, maintain a good grade point average, and become a school teacher, you can accomplish anything in this life,” he told NBC affiliate KCRA-3.
Once he completed his degree, Huss was hired to teach at the school immediately.
“I was the school janitor on a Monday. I worked a double shift. I worked from 6 a.m. until about 10 p.m. that night, getting the school ready,” Huss told GMA about the transition from janitor to teacher.
“The very next day, Tuesday, I was in my first teachers’ meeting. On Thursday of that same week, I had my first class.”
This year, after almost two decades of teaching, he was surprised to be offered the opportunity “to lead this school.”
“I really think that I can do this job… because I have the support of everyone,” he told GMA. I have to try my best every day for them.
Melanie Cortez, Ione Elementary’s office administrator, told KCRA-3 that “it’s neat when people can stay in their community and there are opportunities like this.
“The kids aren’t used to seeing him in the office, so we have kids come in all day long asking, ‘Is Mr. Huss busy?’ ” she said.
“I am blessed,” Huss told GMA. “I truly am and I don’t do anything special. I just show up and work hard. I show up and try my best.”
