From day to day we make a lot of messes at KHS, but lucky for us we have two extremely hardworking and dedicated janitors that make our school shine again.

Ms. Kristie Pillen and Mrs. Shantie’rah Harvey are apart of our excellent janitorial staff.

Kristie Pillen

From her blue Hi-Tech shirt Kristie Pillen looks like the average janitor but Pillen has a heart of gold.

When I asked Pillen about her life outside of her blue shirt she said “I am a single mom of a beautiful daughter. My grandmother retired out of Kearsley as a janitor when I was two, my aunts and uncles were also janitors. And my mother was my lunch lady until she passed my junior year.”

She continued by saying “Some things I enjoy doing outside of work is spending time with the family and friends as well as singing.”

Pillen hasn’t worked at KHS a long time, but she knows what she’s doing.

“I’ve worked here since October of 2021 and I’ve been with the Hi-Tech company going on 4 years in May.”

Pillen expressed some of the downsides with her job.

“The hardest part of our job is sometimes the disrespect by people who make a big mess and leave it.”

But Pillen also shared the best thing about her job, “The best part of being apart of KHS janitorial staff for me is getting to know staff and students. Being a KHS alumni it’s nice to see who is still here from when I was a student.”

The janitorial position definitely is not the easiest position, but I asked Pillen what the hard job consists of.

“It consists of sanitizing and maintaining the building. Wiping all the ledges, doorknobs, drinking fountains, windows and desks as well as sweeping, mopping, stripping and waxing the floors.” said Pillen.

Pillen expressed something that impacted her life a made her the person she is throughout the time I was with her, she said “Becoming a mom.”

When our time was over I asked Kristie Pillen how she thought she was perceived she said “I think they see me as hardworking and willing to help in anyway I can. Willing to go above and beyond to make sure everything is right.”

And her observation couldn’t have been more true, throughout our time I learned that Kristie Pillen is an extremely hard and dedicated worker, but not only that, she radiates nothing but happiness.

Shantie’rah Harvey

Shantie’rah Harvey or as we know her Miss Shay also appears to be the average janitor, but the kind hearted individual is so much more.

To Harvey family comes first, her family might small but there’s no shortage of love.

“My family is small it’s just me, my husband, and I have a 4 year old and a 10 year old.”

And when she’s not in her Hi-Tech uniform she mentioned, “I enjoy spending time with my kids and my husband.”

Like Pillen, Mrs. Harvey also gave good and bad parts of her janitorial job.

“The best part about being a janitor at KHS for me is getting to know the student’s and staff and helping keep a clean and healthy environment for the kids. I think the worst part of my job is being disrespected by certain kids and the deliberate messes that are left.” said Harvey.

Harvey had also mentioned the amount of time she has put into working, “I have worked at KHS for almost a year.”

Like Pillen, by the end of our time I asked Harvey how she thought people perceived her, she said “I think they perceive me as hardworking and determined.” And Harvey wasn’t that far off but she forgot to mention that she has the kindest attitude and an even kinder soul.