TCOM student’s initiative honors custodial staff through service, health and heart
At UNT Health Fort Worth, a simple conversation in a student lounge became something
much bigger: a reminder that some of the most important people on campus are often
the ones working quietly in the background.
For Jenny Steward, a first-year Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine student, the idea began after speaking with members of the custodial team in the Medical Education and Training building.
“One of them told me they felt unseen,” Steward said. “They come in, do their work and leave, and it feels like they’re not really acknowledged in the way they would like to be.”
The words stayed with her.
“I was like, let’s fix that.”
Working with Annabel Luna-Smith, senior program project coordinator at UNT Health, Steward launched the “We Care for You” initiative, a growing effort designed to recognize custodial staff, strengthen relationships across campus and support their health and well-being.
“Jenny and I first connected when she volunteered at the Heart Walk,” Luna-Smith said. “Shortly afterward, she reached out to share thoughtful ideas for recognizing and showing appreciation for our custodial team.”
“I was immediately impressed by how strongly her proposed events reflected our institutional values,” she said. “Jenny is an exceptional student leader who truly represents the compassionate healthcare providers of the future we are training.”
Learning through service
The initiative’s first event invited students to spend time shadowing custodial staff members, helping with daily tasks while learning more about the people whose work keeps classrooms, hallways and common spaces ready each day.
For Steward, the experience deepened an appreciation she already felt.
“They’re so consistently good at what they do,” she said. “Every day the buildings are clean and ready for us. Most people never stop to think about how much care that takes.”
Lourdes Acosta, a first-year TCOM student, shadowed a custodian named Sylvia and said the most meaningful part was simply getting to know her.
“The most meaningful moment was talking with Sylvia and learning about her personal and work life,” Acosta said. “It was therapeutic and enjoyable being able to help her.”
She said she was surprised to learn the long hours custodial staff work, often early in the morning or late into the evening.
“It gave me a new sense of appreciation and awareness,” Acosta said. “It reinforced the importance of teamwork and building connections.”
More than cleaning
For custodian Nancy Maday, the work has always been about caring for students.
“What we do is for them,” she said. “So students have a clean, healthy place to study and come ready to learn.”
Maday said she especially enjoyed working one-on-one with a student through the initiative.
“He showed real interest,” she said. “He didn’t just stand there watching. He worked.”
She believes moments like that matter far beyond a single shift.
“I think experiences like this help students become better people,” Maday said. “They learn to appreciate life and appreciate the daily work others do.”
For Steward, that was always the goal.
“I don’t want anybody to feel invisible,” she said.
Caring for those who care for others
The initiative expanded April 23 with a mini health fair created specifically for
custodial staff. Thirty-seven team members attended, receiving screenings, wellness
resources and one-on-one guidance from healthcare professionals.
Community and campus partners included the James L. West Center for Dementia Care, Tarrant County Public Health, the Institute for Translational Research, the Center for Older Adults and the Patient Safety Center.
Spanish-speaking students volunteered throughout the event to help ensure everyone felt welcomed and understood.
Custodian Sandra De Hoyos said the gesture touched her deeply.
“It is so beautiful when people think of us,” De Hoyos said. “Sometimes we forget about our own health. For them to do this for us means so much.”’
Custodial supervisor Jose Mazariego said what moved him most was being remembered.
“We are usually the ones helping behind the scenes,” Mazariego said. “For the students to stop, think of us and give back from the heart was something very special.”
He also participated in the shadowing program and said the conversations were just as meaningful as the work itself.
“We talked about life and family,” he said. “It was a beautiful experience.”
A culture of care
Steward hopes the initiative continues long after her first year of medical school
and grows to honor other often-overlooked groups across campus.
“We all have roles here, but we’re all human beings,” she said. “We all deserve to feel seen.”
She said the experience is shaping the kind of physician she hopes to become.
“It’s not just about being a doctor,” Steward said. “It’s about being a servant leader and taking care of the people around you.”
And on a campus preparing future healthcare professionals, one student’s idea has already offered an important lesson: sometimes the best way to care for others is to first notice the people standing right beside you.