The School Janitor. Do students care enough to thank these people for picking up the banana peels, gum, and wrappers carelessly tossed on the ground? Janitors see the trash and messes students leave and the janitors take care of it. If you’ve seen how a student treats these humble workers, then you’ve seen his/her character and what they have to offer to the student body. If a student can’t respect their workplace, they can’t respect their work. But the best students, though not perfect, will break awkward hall silences to say thanks and pick up that crumpled paper basketball that bounced out of the trash.

The prime student deserving of a college experience like UW-Madison is one who makes time to put aside their lives to appreciate the lives of another. These students never work for recognition from bystanders that see their kindness; they are self-driven to be their best. These students thank the thankless workers for Integrity’s sake. They do it because they are the hardest worker, the serious studier, the passionate learner, and the driven goal setter. I remember getting out of Cross country once and seeing a janitor emptying the trash and having just seen the locker room I knew he had more to do. So I didn’t need to suck up or look good to some friends because it was just him and I and I said, “Thank you”. His awed smile was the most memorable part of that day. Making someone’s day just a little bit better is worth it and makes me stand out in a student body of thousands.

Monthly I have the pleasure of letting a janitor know he’s doing a good job. As a student in high school, it is far too easy to take the privileges surrounding the life of a senior, including education, sincere teachers, and focused staff, for granted. Had I been born in any other state or country, my privileges would be vastly different. That is why I know that my character in appreciating the unnoticed will shine through at UW Madison. And a part of that appreciation would be to take advantage of the top notch facilities and courses offered at UW-Madison if I am honored enough to attend.