Most students don’t think about what keeps the school running smoothly, but for Sierra Avila, as LHS’s lead custodian, the behind-the-scenes work has defined the last five years of her career.
After starting this line of work in college, she moved to the Portland area due to its beauty and later found a custodial job through an online posting.
“I’ve been working in facilities for 12 years, five of which were at LHS,” said Avila.
Sierra’s role goes far beyond what people imagine. Her days change depending on what breaks, leaks or need adjusting. She handles our HVAC repairs, carpentry and many issues that appear from nowhere. She splits her work between maintenance and custodial tasks, often switching between the roof and floor to fix things.
“I love figuring out new problems every day. I get to learn something new and attack it,” said Avila.
This unpredictability is part of what she loves about the job.
Sierra is the head of a team of four other custodians, including Rodney, the other mid-day custodian. Communication and positivity, Avila said, are the most important aspects of their work. Faculty rely on her as the first contact when something goes wrong, and she has learned to approach these problems with creative, practical thinking. Whether it’s a repair or a tricky issue no one has seen before, Sierra prides herself on finding solutions.
But the job comes with challenges. The most frustrating is the lack of care some students show for the building: vandalism, littering and the everyday messes that accumulate. She wishes students understood how much their actions impact the broader community.
“I don’t mind helping people out, but the disregard can have a snowball effect, which can end up affecting others, like vandalizing a bathroom,” said Avila.
Outside her facilities role, Sierra is deeply involved in student life. She serves as the JV coach for softball and the head bowling coach. With bowling practice on Mondays and Wednesdays, she often leaves work about fifteen minutes early to arrive at the alley. For her, coaching is just another way to support the school beyond the mechanical systems and maintenance routines.
Her advice for students is simple: do what you can to make a difference.
Small actions like recycling and cleaning up after yourself make a real difference. And for someone who sees everything, Sierra knows better than most how much those actions matter.
