By: GABE MARTIN
While she patrols the campus of Carmel High School, custodian Florence Foster’s name goes unmentioned and, for the most part, she goes unseen by the students of her school. Going by Flo for short, Foster has been a determined part of the custodian force, and she shines through in ways other than her work ethic.
For instance, Flo is the only female custodian in the Carmel Unified School District. To say Foster has had a journey only few could relate to is an understatement.
Coming from her hometown in El Centro, California, Foster was a thrill-seeker from a young age. Being accompanied by her brother and sister, a young Flo rode motorcycles and dune buggies to pass time. She was well-known throughout the neighborhood and had an easy time making friends at school, keeping them throughout her high school career.
This didn’t completely fill up her time, as she was close with her family as well.
“I went camping with my grandparents,” Foster notes, “and helped my grandfather work in his vegetable garden.”
While with her grandparents, the young thrill-seeker also loved to ride ATVs in the desert dunes, something many could only dream of doing.
Foster married her high school sweetheart directly after receiving her diploma.
“I married after high school and started a family that includes a son and daughter,” Foster reveals.
Foster was quick to make the ideal American nuclear family and is happy with the life she’s made for herself, refusing to regret any of her choices.
The outdoor enthusiast loves to take in the fresh air and observe the environment, as she stayed self-employed while searching for a more long-term career. When a job at Carmel High School opened, Foster pounced on it.
“The job chose me,” Foster admits. “I love my job here at CHS, and it has the benefits that allow me to retire at some point in my life.”
The CHS custodian explains that her past challenges have led her to a better future.
“I’ve overcome a lot of challenges,” Foster notes. “At this point in my life, I can pretty much move mountains, part the Red Sea and walk on water!”
This is hardly an exaggeration, as Foster has fought tooth and nail to get where she is today. Foster has worked at CHS for over 18 years and has nothing to complain about as she looks forward to the next years working alongside other CHS staff.
Flo wants CHS students to know one thing about school and life in general: “I care about them and want them to have a clean campus. In life you do what you have to do, regardless!”
