When the rest of Northwood powers down—hallway lights humming low, trophy cases reflecting empty corridors—its night custodians are just getting started. From 2:30-11 p.m., they ensure that the rooms students left in a rush will be ready for tomorrow’s first bell.
Led by lead night custodian Edgar Flores, the night crew—Gustavo Vilchis, Tanisha Young, Eric Vilchis and Sergio Hernandez—systematically divide the campus to ensure that their carts touch nearly every door students will open the next morning.
Edgar Flores
Flores methodically works through the admin building with a routine: wiping glass until it is spotless, clearing counters of fingerprint smudges and running his backpack vacuum down the aisles. Despite this schedule, Flores finds time to root for the Mariners and catch Sunday football, but most weeknights end with a battle to reset his internal clock.
“It is tough. Sometimes I fall asleep around 3 a.m.,” Flores said. “I get home, shower, and that shower already gets me awake. It gets pretty difficult.”
He was hired at IUSD in 2021, wanting a change in direction from his job at a Santa Ana pharmacy at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Flores finds enjoyment in the moments of connection he gets with staff and students.
“A lot of you guys are very respectful,” Flores said. “Even the smallest things, right? Opening up a door for some students that leave their stuff, just like, ‘Oh, thank you.’”
The goal, he says, is simple: keep a standard and be ready for whatever the night throws at him, whether it’s grimy restroom tiles, tough carpet stains or trespassing e-bikers.
“In a way, we are somewhat of gatekeepers here, making sure the castle is protected,” Flores said. “After hours, we would be the first line of defense.”
Gustavo Vilchis
Despite having been on the team for almost a year, Vilchis still talks about Northwood with a newcomer’s curiosity. His brother, Eric Vilchis, first got him started with weekend shifts, and he jumped at the opportunity once a full-time spot opened.
“It takes not just one. It takes pretty much a team,” Vilchis said. “I’m happy working here at Northwood, and I’m happy with the staff. So far, everyone has been treating me good.”
Ask him for a favorite place and he lights up when talking about the gym—not just a room he and the crew flip at the end of the night, but a space that takes him back to his own time in high school.
“That was where I used to spend most of my time. I wasn’t really athletic, but that was my spot,” Vilchis said. “It reminds me of back in my old days.”
Tanisha Young
Young likes the focus of nights: no spotlight, no micromanaging, just a standard to hit and the quiet satisfaction of hitting it. From raising her own five kids to driving school buses in Los Angeles and working in Northwood’s cafeteria before transferring to the custodial team, she takes pride in her career serving students.
“I came from a big family, so we always cleaned after all the kids, the parents, whoever made a mess,” Young said. “I love cleaning… Why don’t I get paid for it?”
She frames the job as a partnership: Students learn while she makes the space safe and ready. Her standard is simple—do your part, and she’ll do hers.
“Y’all come, do y’all job, get your education. We clean up, do our job,” Young said. “Y’all stay healthy… Let me make sure everything is packed up for you guys.”
