ROME, Ga. — Students at Model Elementary School in Rome know they have a great janitor but are hoping a new contest will show the country that Elisa Bridges is the greatest.
Bridges is a finalist in the nationwide "Janitor of the Year" contest from Cintas Corporation.
She is the first one in at the school each morning and the last one out at night. Bridges also works tirelessly during the hot summer months when the air conditioning is turned off to save energy, which can be challenging with the school's older facility.
During her 11 years at the school, she is known for her sweet, positive attitude and for always being willing to give an extra hand. Many students call her by name and greet her with a hug daily. When things go crazy, students and staff count on her to come to the rescue with a smile.
Public voting begins Tuesday (one vote per person per day) and ends April 15. The janitor with the most votes will receive the $10,000 grand prize.
The top 10 finalists include:
1. Saeed Amin – Robinson Elementary School (Beloit, Wis.)
2. Charles “Chuck” Arvin – Monocacy Middle School (Frederick, Md.)
3. Elisa V. Bridges – Model Elementary School (Rome, Ga.)
4. Keith Ciesielczyk – Midview Middle School (Grafton, Ohio)
5. Andre Hearn – Detroit Cristo Rey High School (Detroit)
6. Louis “Bo” James IV – duPont Manual High School (Louisville, Ky.)
7. Jerome Lewis – Crestline Elementary School (Mountain Brook, Ala.)
8. Enrique Mendez – J.L. Long Middle School (Dallas)
9. Jerry Ottosen – Liberty High School (Spangle, Wash.)
10. Bill Sanders – Wright Brothers Elementary School (Huber Heights, Ohio)