Educator Awards Spotlight: Keven Gebeke

Keven Gebeke is the Northeast Washington ESD 101 Regional Classified School Employee of the Year and is the Lead Custodian at Shiloh Hills Elementary in Mead School District

We’re sharing the wisdom of our incredible regional and state Teachers and Classified School Employees of the Year, in their own words. Find more on our Spotlight page.

What do you think is the most important part of your job?

The most important part of a custodian’s job is to keep everything clean and safe for kids and staff. It’s also important to be a friendly face that kids and staff can depend on.

Tell us about a time during COVID-19 that you felt successful as an educator.

Last year, Mead made the choice to come back face-to-face in September. I am proud that we were able to keep everything clean and safe, so that we had very few positive cases in our school.

What was something that surprised you about working in education?

I think the most surprising thing for me was how the staff treat each other. If something happens, they are right there to help out. I learned a lot from these people.

When did you decide to work in education and what sustains you professionally?

Someone mentioned they were looking for custodians and I decided to give it a try. I never thought I’d be here all these years, but I really liked it. I like the kids and the people I work with. I am sustained by the people here and watching the kids grow.

What do you wish more people knew about your job?

Everybody thinks all you do is clean toilets, but there’s a lot more to it. It’s all about keeping everyone safe. It’s about taking care of the kids and relating to them. There’s a whole lot of love in these buildings, this one especially. During my childhood, things were tough and it matters to make sure kids are taken care of.

Learn more about the Teacher and Classified School Employees of the Year on the Educator Awards website.