WOODBURY- Nonnewaug High School’s daytime custodian, Clayton Hilpertshauser, is more than just a custodian: he’s the person who always puts others first and brightens your day.
From cleaning, to talking with students and staff, Hilpertshauser really does it all. If you have a conversion with Clayton you will, without fail, leave smiling.
“My job feels less like a job and more like a family environment,” says Hilpertshauser.
Hilpertshauser noted, while multitasking, of course, that he loves to interact with students and staff and he always leaves Nonnewaug with the same consistent glowing disposition he’s known for.
Hilpertshauser helps NHS culinary arts faculty member John Dominello his program by keeping the kitchen sanitized by ensuring the space is cleaned to the highest sanitary standards.
Hilpertshauser understands how critical his role is when it comes to the standards for NHS culinary arts.
“I do as much as I can to help Dominello, from mopping the floors after any messy labs, to emptying trash cans, to anything to keep the kitchen clean, safe and most importantly, fun,” Hilpertshauser.
Dominello, being one of Hilpertshauser’s good friends, appreciates all he does for his program and the school, collectively.
“Clayton and I, before everyday, discuss what my plans are so that he knows if he needs to help out with the cleaning a little more depending on if the labs are more messy and he always helps as much as he can,” Dominello said.
“Our relationship is much more than just work,” says Dominello. “There have been times where I’ve had things in disrepair at my house and I mention it in a conversation with him, then the next day he will show up at my house and help me fix it without me even having to ask him to.”
When asked to define Hilpertshauser’s contributions in just a handful of words, Dominello landed on five terms to define Hilpertshauser.
“[Clayton is] respectful, loyal, kind, empathetic, and funny,” Dominello said.
Hilpertshauser has put in numerous hours working hard to keep the school a clean and safe place. To go with that he puts in huge amounts of extra work for Nonnewaug’s wrestling team.
“The wrestling team practices down in the cafeteria,” says Hilpertshauser. “By the end of the third lunch wave I know that I have to hustle; I clean all of the tables then I put them in the back corner, and then mop up the floors. By the time they’re done practicing, I help them move the tables back together and give it all one last clean.”
Dave Green, the head coach of Nonnewaugs’ wrestling team, explains what Hilpertshauser does for the team.
“I have talked to coaches from other teams [at other schools] that practice in the cafeteria, and they all tell me how before practice they spend about 30 minutes moving all of the tables out of the way and cleaning up the floors before being able to even roll the mats out,” Green says. “Clayton does it all for us and by the time we have to start practice all we have to do is roll the mats out and wash them.”
People around the school define Hilpertshauser as many things, but most out of all the words people say about him the word that gets passed around the most is respect.
“He’s such a friendly guy,” Dominello said, noting all that Hilpertshauser does for students and faculty. “But it’s more than that, it’s mutual respect.”
