Women's History Month: Beloved school custodian celebrated for 42 years on the job
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (7News) — Keeping Samuel Tucker Elementary School clean and tidy is serious business to Pat Morgan. But Ms. Pat, as everyone calls her, does more than make windows sparkle.
“I’ve seen it all," Morgan said with a smile.
Morgan grew up in Alexandria, attended what's now called Alexandria City High School, worked as a custodian there for decades, and now works at Samuel Tucker Elementary. That adds up to 42 years on the job.
Morgan said, “It started off as something small and it went 'whoo.'”
She’s watched the parents of present-day students go through this school system and her institutional knowledge of everything Alexandria made her boss's job a bit easier.
“When I started as assistant principal Ms. Pat took me under her wing. She is the true matriarch of this building," said Principal Adaarema Kelly.
Kelly says Morgan’s work ethic, sunny disposition and genuine interest in the lives of students make her the perfect person to honor during Women’s History Month.
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“Ms. Pat impacts our academic achievement here at Samuel Tucker. How does she do that? She makes kids feel good about themselves," added Kelly.
“They feel comfortable with me. I’m like a grandmother to them. I just tell them what’s right and I ask them the next day did everything work out and they say yeah, Ms. Pat it all worked out fine.”
During the pandemic, Morgan kept classrooms pristine and made sure children had coats on their backs and food in their stomachs.
Morgan added, “And I also kept a little food pantry inside the cafeteria break room for the ones to get extra food and to have food to go home on the weekend.”
Pat Morgan takes great pride in keeping Tucker Elementary clean. It’s the other stuff – a generation of shepherding and encouraging children throughout their day – that has made an indelible impact inside and outside these corridors of learning.
Morgan said, “I’ve done something for my community and to help with the children.
As for her future:
“I’m going to keep on going as long as I can keep going," concluded Morgan.
