22-05-2025
Beloved Albany Park school custodian finishes as runner-up for national honor
CHICAGO (WGN) — School custodians often get overlooked, but that's not the case for a hardworking Chicago Public Schools staffer who received a surprise honor on Wednesday.
Students and faculty members at Hibbard Elementary School in Chicago's Albany Park neighborhood cheered on custodian Micaela 'Mica' Ortiz Arredondo, who recently placed second in Cintas 'Custodian of the Year' contest.
The surprise celebration struck a chord with an emotional Arredondo, who earned $1,000 and a trip for two to Las Vegas as runner-up for the national honor.
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But the prize that means the most to her, she says, is the love from everyone at the school.
In April, WGN's Mike Lowe profiled the beloved custodian, who continues to make an impression on students with her Swiffer and smile.
'I love it. I really do,' Ortiz said. 'The school is our second house, for the kids, because they come to learn, they come to enjoy, and they come to play as well, so they must be in a good, clean place.'
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The 57-year-old grandmother's second-place finish out of 10 national finalists proves that the right person can make even the dirty work sparkle.
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