>> SPRINGFIELD IS HOME OF MANY FIRSTS.
IT'S THE BIRTHPLACE OF BASKETBALL.
OF DR.
SEUSS.
AND NOW IT'S ALSO HOME TO THE FIRST FEMALE HEAD CUSTODIAN.
JULIE COLONE HAS HELD A FEW DIFFERENT POSITIONS IN
SPRINGFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOLS BUT BEING A CUSTODIAN ISN'T
SOMETHING SHE ORIGINALLY HAD IN MIND.
THE ROAD HASN'T ALWAYS BEEN SMOOTH BUT WITH HER PERSEVERANCE
AND PASSION FOR THE CHILDREN AT FOREST PARK MIDDLE SCHOOL, SHE'S
TURNED AN UNLIKELY POSITION INTO ONE FOR THE HISTORY BOOKS.
PRODUCER ALEJANDRO CAMERON BRINGS US THIS STORY.
>> JULIE IS RELIABLE, SUPPORTIVE, DURABLE AND
RELENTLESS.
SHE WORKED EXTREMELY HARD TO GET TO WHERE SHE IS TODAY.
IT IS A WELL DESERVED PROMOTION.
SHE WORKS EXTREMELY HARD TO KEEP THIS BUILDING NOT ONLY SAFE BUT
CLEAN.
I'M VERY PROUD TO BE ABLE TO CALL HER MY HEAD CUSTODIAN AND
ALSO THE FIRST HEAD FEMALE CUSTODIAN.
>> I WAS A PARA AT THE SPRINGFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM
FROM 1989 TO 1999.
PARAS ASSIST THE TEACHERS, ALSO DO SMALL GROUPS, LUNCHES, SO
THEY'RE IN THE CLASSROOMS AT ALL TIMES.
AND I WORKED IN THE BILINGUAL DEPARTMENT.
I LEFT AFTER 11 YEARS BECAUSE I HAD MY FIRST CHILD.
JULIAN.
AND HE WEIGHED 10 1/2 POUNDS AND HE HAD A BRAIN INJURY AT BIRTH.
SO HE HAD HEMORRHAGE TO THE BRAIN.
SO HE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A DOWN'S SYNDROME BABY.
SO I HAD TO RESIGN AND STAY HOME FULL TIME WITH HIM.
AT LEAST FOR ME TO GET MY SON OUT WHERE HE NEEDED TO BE, I HAD
TO REALLY FOCUS ON STAYING MOTIVATED AND STRONG.
AND HE'S DOING WONDERFUL.
SO I CAME BACK AS A BUILDING COORDINATOR AND THE BUILDING
COORDINATORS WERE COVERING SPORTS EVENTS, MEETINGS, THEY
WOULD LOCK BUILDINGS AND THEN THAT ALL CHANGED.
SO WHAT THEY DID IS THEY TOOK THE 40 PEOPLE THEY WERE BUILDING
COORDINATORS AND TRANSFERRED THEM INTO CUSTODIANS.
>> HOW DID YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT?
>> I WASN'T EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
THAT'S NOT WHAT I REALLY WANTED TO DO.
BUT I ENDED UP SAYING OK, I REALLY NEED TO DO THIS.
LET ME TRY IT.
AND I DID.
MY SUPERVISOR THAT WAS HERE BEFORE WAS IN THIS BUILDING FOR
35 YEARS.
AND HE -- I KNEW HE WAS RETIRING.
I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT THE BUILDING.
ABOUT THE MECHANICAL WORK ON IT.
AND ALL THE COMPUTER THINGS TO LEARN.
I WAS REALLY CURIOUS SO I ALWAYS TAGGED ALONG WITH HIM EVERYWHERE
AND I WANT TO LEARN THAT AND I WANT TO TRY THAT.
AND SO IT GOT TO THE POINT THAT HE KIND OF SAT BACK AND SAID,
YOU TAKE CARE OF THE BUILDING.
>> I THINK JULIE'S GREATEST ATTRIBUTES OF BEING THE HEAD
CUSTODIAN AT FOREST PARK IS THAT SHE'S TIRELESS IN HER DEDICATION
TO BOTH THE SCHOOL, THE STAFF, AND ALSO THE CHILDREN.
THROUGHOUT THE DAY FROM THE MINUTE SHE WALKS IN IN THE
MORNING, SHE'S CONSTANTLY AROUND THE BUILDING INTERACTING WITH
STAFF AND STUDENTS AND MAKING SURE THAT EVERY ASPECT OF THIS
BUILDING IS MAINTAINED TO THE HIGHEST STANDARD.
>> I'M VERY HAPPY HERE.
I LOVE THE THE THE THE -- THE KIDS, I ENJOY THE KIDS AND I'M
GOING TO BRING THE BEST POSSIBLE SERVICE TO MY FOREST PARK MIDDLE
SCHOOL FAMILY.
I'M GOING TO BRING THE BEST POSSIBLE SERVICE THAT I CAN.
>> OUR MOST FAMOUS ALUMNI IS DR.
SEUSS, AND NOW WE'RE ALSO FAMOUS FOR HAVING THE FIRST FEMALE HEAD
CUSTODIAN, JULIE.