Mr. George Bickley has recently been named the Support Employee of the Year for the 2010-2011 school year.  Mr. Bickley is a custodian at Chapin High School and was given this title for his outstanding work and his support of the students and staff at Chapin.

“It was a complete surprise, but very rewarding,” he says.

Towards the beginning of the school year, the idea of winning such an honor was not in the forefront of Bickley’s plans. His health took an unexpected turn for the worse, which left Bickley unable to work for a couple of months.

Bickley said, “I had my heart attack back in September.”

The heart attack created quite a scare and for some, it might have been the end of a career. But Bickley bounced back- barely missing a beat and returned in November.  Despite the setback, George knew that CHS was there for him.

“Mr. Eskew and the staff here have really been a blessing.  I was so thankful for everyone’s prayers and concerns,” comments Bickley, “It did give me a new outlook on life.  I’m still alive.”

Whether he’s wiping down tables in the cafeteria, taking out the trash, or just offering a friendly smile to the students, Bickley makes a positive impact on our school. Some of his other duties may not be seen out all but we all enjoy the results of his hard labor.

“I take care of the football stadium, monitor assemblies and activities, set up the gym, open up classrooms, take out the trash and just make sure things are being clean around here,” he says.  This is no easy task considering there are close to 1500 people that use the CHS facilities just about everyday.

Bickley knows his job is a lot of work and some tasks are more difficult than others.  But he considers it pretty enjoyable. 

His dedication to maintaining such high standards of cleaning led to George being voted Support Employee of the Year by the CHS faculty. 

“Being here at Chapin is a pleasure, and I love all of the staff I have and all the people here, and the students…everybody.  I love being around everybody because everybody’s been so nice and friendly.  I love getting out and seeing people and the students and doing what I have to do,” says Bickley.