We Are All Family
RSS Custodian Loves Her Job
09/15/2017
 Juliana Blunt, Ross S. Sterling High School custodian, entertains her granddaughter, 3-year-old Smiya Ali, at the shelter at Memorial Baptist Church after her apartment flooded.
Photo by Susan Passmore
Juliana Blunt, Ross S. Sterling High School custodian, entertains her granddaughter, 3-year-old Smiya Ali, at the shelter at Memorial Baptist Church after her apartment flooded.

RSS Employee Loves Her Job 

We are all family with gccisd logo and state of texas

By: Susan Passmore

When the apartment she shared with her daughter and granddaughter flooded due to Harvey, Ross S. Sterling High School custodian Juliana Blunt appreciated the shelters at Memorial Baptist Church and at Lee College. They provided a safe place to stay, food and clothes for her and her granddaughter, 3-year-old Smiya Ali, but she was not quite ready to board the bus for the NRG Center Monday morning when those still at Lee College were scheduled to transfer.


“I love my job at Sterling and all my co-workers,” Blunt said. “I didn’t want to leave Baytown.”

Mayor Steve DonCarlos heard about her reluctance to leave and, knowing that she would find resources to help her in Houston, reached out to a Goose Creek CISD administrator who talked to Herb Minyard, director of operations and grounds for the district.

“Tell her to do what she has to do to help herself,” Minyard said. “We’ll work with her on her job.”

Before anyone else could get there, DonCarlos rushed to the shelter at Lee College to talk to Blunt before the bus left, assuring her that she should go to Houston to get the resources she needs to get back on her feet.

“I hadn’t eaten or slept for two days because I was so worried about leaving my job. Mr. Mayor came by and told me he had talked to someone and it was okay. Bless him!” Blunt said.

Dr. Ron Wyatt, human resources director, said that employees affected by Harvey should contact their supervisors.

“We are working with everybody individually,” said Wyatt. “Employees need to contact their supervisors, and supervisors are working with HR to make sure we’re taking care of our staff and students and helping everyone get back to work and school. The board approved to pay employees for the days the district was closed, and they may take their accrued leave if they need more time to get everything in order. Our policy will be to work with our employees on an individual basis to help protect jobs.”