April 10, 2024

Apparently, Pepe Flores is not only an inspiration to the students and staff at Ross Middle School, he’s also a role model for other maintenance personnel in Stanislaus County schools.

To quickly recap: Flores is beloved by everyone at Ross. The students invited him to become an assistant soccer coach. He once took a day off from work just to make tacos for the whole staff. During the pandemic, he prided himself on thoroughly cleaning classrooms and offices, and later sewed masks himself to protect the Ross staff.

There is no one quite like Flores, which is why he was chosen earlier this year by the Hughson Unified School District to be its nominee for the countywide Employees Making a Difference awards competition. As if that wasn’t a big enough honor, Flores was then selected in January to be Stanislaus County’s representative in the state competition in the custodial and maintenance services category. The California winners will be announced later this spring.

“Pepe is an amazing employee who really cares about his work and his school,” praised Hughson Superintendent Brenda Smith. “His work ethic is unmatched and his warm and friendly attitude make working with him an absolute joy.  We are thankful to have him on the Hughson Unified School District team!”

Flores has worked for Hughson Unified for 10 years. In his nominating letter, Eric Petersen, the district’s director of student support services, wrote that Flores “is notorious for his unlimited energy, positive attitude and boisterous laugh.” Former Ross administrative assistant Jovita Mendoza said Flores’ “smile and positive attitude are contagious! Pepe is humble and genuinely cares about the staff and students.”

For his part, Flores said he likes to keep moving and to stay busy. It helps to make the day go by faster, he said. One of Flores’ strategies at work is to alternate arms and use both hands so that they are equally strong, which he believes allows him to complete tasks faster and without tiring. Flores also enjoys and embraces the challenges of big summer projects within the district. “I enjoy working hard and I like to think of ideas to help make the district and campuses better,” he explained.