Texas Border Business
By Selene Rodriguez
Since its inception in 2018, South Texas College staff member Sheila Gonzalez has been a steady presence at the Regional Center for Public Safety Excellence (RCPSE), caring for the campus as if it were her own home and treating students like family.
Often one of the first faces people encounter when walking through the door, Gonzalez has been recognized as Custodian of the Year twice in her nearly 10 years with the college, though she says the honor matters less than the pride she takes in her work.
“I remember driving past while it was still just a construction site and telling my family, ‘Whatever it’s going to be, I could clean that,’” she said. “I had no idea. I just applied for a position at STC in Pharr, and this is where it led me. It’s funny to think about that moment now because that same place became such a big part of my life.”
Gonzalez, 54, is originally from Minnesota, where she began working in cleaning services shortly after high school. She later worked for Pillsbury Co., moving through sanitation, maintenance and operations roles, and it was there that she met her husband, a Rio Grande Valley native.
After moving to Pharr in 2001, Gonzalez balanced work and family life, taking on cleaning and food service jobs and later helping run the family’s trucking business, a role that allowed her to be involved in her children’s schooling while continuing to work.
“All three of my children are STC Dual Credit graduates and my youngest will soon earn his bachelor’s degree, just like my two oldest,” she said. “Very early on my husband and I decided we wanted to take our children further than we were able to go. They all walked out of high school with an associate degree, and I owe that to STC.”
Gonzalez eventually returned to school to become a dental assistant, but soon realized her favorite part of the job was cleaning and sanitizing the workspace.
“I wasn’t sure about going back into custodial work at my age, but it keeps me active,” she said. “I always joke that I get paid to exercise.”
Seeking to return to the work she loved, Gonzalez became one of the founding staff members of the college’s RCPSE when she was hired in December 2017. Though the campus did not officially open until September 2018, Gonzalez was among the first to step inside the building, which now trains police officers, firefighters and other public safety professionals from across the region.
“Every great place depends on the people who take care of it, and at RCPSE that person is our custodian, Sheila Gonzalez,” said Robert Vela Jr., STC RCPSE site administrator. “Her hard work, reliability and pride in what she does keep our campus clean, safe and welcoming every day. She truly goes above and beyond for all of us.”
Over the years, Gonzalez has built strong relationships with faculty, staff and students alike, taking pride in being part of a community where employees look for one another and place student support at the center of their work.
“I consider my job to be customer-service oriented because I’m one of the few employees in uniform, so people usually come to me for information,” she said. “I take pride in being that first contact for many. It’s a big responsibility and I do my best because I love this place. It’s awesome seeing how much it has grown since 2018.”
That sense of care became especially clear last spring, when a severe storm brought heavy flooding across the RGV and left several STC students stranded overnight. Gonzalez gathered food from home and brought breakfast to the students the next morning, making sure they had something to eat before they could safely return home.
“It was a horrible storm. I just kept thinking they might be hungry and away from their families,” she said. “I looked in my freezer and thought, what can I bring for them? I wanted to make sure they were okay. I treat everyone here the way I would want someone to treat my children. Most of these students are young enough to be my kids.”
Those efforts have not gone unnoticed. Colleagues say her role extends far beyond maintaining the campus, helping shape a culture built on care and consistency that led to her being named Custodian of the Year for a second time this past December.
“Her work is more than a job. It is an act of love,” said Campus Facility Manager Leslie Castaneda. “Her dedication, leadership and care reach far beyond her duties, touching the lives of our students, faculty, staff and the entire community.”
Grateful for the constant appreciation and the opportunities the college has provided her family, Gonzalez says she hopes to spend the rest of her career at STC, continuing to serve the campus that has become a second home.
“I’m grateful for so much,” she said. “As custodians, we’re treated with great respect. We’re paid well, we have the same benefits as everyone else and we’re truly part of the family. You don’t find that anywhere else. I’m grateful for the education my children received, the relationships I’ve built and being able to witness the growth of the college and the RCPSE. I can’t wait to see what’s next.”
For more information on STC’s Regional Center for Public Safety Excellence, visit southtexascollege.edu/rcpse/.
