A Custodian that Cares: Custodian Price Wright uses his passion for carpentry to help students at East

Custodian Price Wright had been at East for six years when the social skills teacher in 2014 approached him with an idea: building an East coffee shop on the fourth floor. She had the perfect spot — the room in between the math and social skills classrooms. Price is always happy to help with random odd jobs around the school, so she knew he was the perfect man for the job. 

Price’s response?

“Man, that’s a storage closet you guys got.”

But he said yes. In two weeks and with no allotted money from the school, Price cleaned out the closet, called an electrician to install lights and smoothed out the walls. He chose a black paint — white seemed too risky with coffee stains — and built the coffee counter with scrap wood. It took him 50 hours — and all he ever received in return was a $25 dollar Outback Steakhouse coupon from the office. 

Why did he do it? That answer is easy: for the students. Building the coffee shop was ultimately worth it because of the joy he knew it would bring to students — he even still helps repair it today. It wasn’t a part of his job. But Price doesn’t do things to help students because it’s his job. He just enjoys the ways the school lets him utilize his passion and background in carpentry to help students and faculty. 

“I just like to see the kids going in and you can see the happy expression on their faces,” Price said. “You can see the freshmen coming up like, ‘Man we got a coffee shop, what’s up with that man?’ I’m like ‘Yeah, all that coffee for you!’ I’m happy to see the kids happy.”

Price’s background in carpentry comes long before he built the coffee shop, and began helping with various carpentry projects throughout the school. He can’t remember a time in his life where he didn’t have sawdust stuck to his work clothes. His grandpa was a carpenter. His dad was a carpenter. Even his three sons are all carpenters. Price spent his high school summers working for his dad, so when he turned 19, signing up for carpentry school was an easy choice.

Even now, Price still thinks of his father when he’s dusting off the top of the East coffee shop counter. But Price wouldn’t have imagined that it’s a skill that not just helps him, but also allows him to help others. 

“It’s a skill that God gave me, and I just need it,” Price said. “And I love it. I love cutting that wood. I love the smell of the wood.”

As the first licensed carpenter ever in the district, Price knew it was something he wanted to continue. But now, he’s found a new use for it: encouraging others to pursue it. 

Price teaches carpentry twice a month at Penn Valley community college. And at East, his favorite place in the school is the woodshop room, which he visits at least every other day to sand wood for various places in the school such as the coffee shop, check out the machines and motivate the students in the class. Even if he’s simply standing there, it’s his favorite environment to be in. 

“I’ve told [woodshop teacher Sheban] Scott, ‘Man, if you wasn’t here, I’d probably apply for this job,’” Price said. “The kids here are working on some nice projects. It’s good because it gives them a second education that they need. I just kind of like to encourage them on things that they are doing.”

Most of Price’s work for the school is done behind the scenes, according to coffee shop coordinator Amanda Doane. He comes in every day to check in on the shop, repairing the locks on the fridge or touching up chipped paint, along with checking in on different broken parts within the school. Just last month, he built a second coffee cart for students to bring coffee to teachers around the school.

“I don’t know how we would function without him,” Doane said. “He does so much. We would have broken items. I have no idea how we could repair things. It just wouldn’t be as nice.” 

Associate Principal Dr. Susan Leonard sees it too. Leonard thinks that Price’s impact comes down to the little things. She sees his ability to listen and actually help people, from fixing jammed lockers to painting a wall in her office to checking in with students he’s connected with — all of which he does not for the recognition, but to be a helping hand. 

“He embodies the culture of East,” Leonard said. “He’s friendly. He’s approachable. He could just do his job and not really interact with students. But instead, he wants to know about kids. His approachability is what makes him special.”

IT’S A SKILL THAT GOD GAVE ME, AND I JUST NEED IT. AND I LOVE IT. I LOVE CUTTING THAT WOOD. I LOVE THE SMELL OF THE WOOD.

Price Wright – East Janitor

Price has had several jobs, from an elementary teacher to daycare worker — East is the first place he’s stayed at for longer than five years. At each one, he’s found a way to continue carpentry, remodeling kitchens on the side or making cabinets for his company. Each job has been different, but they all share one theme: all have involved kids. 

Price feels grateful that the coffee shop has not only given kids the opportunity to have a place to go in the morning, but has also left its workers with skills they’ll use in the real world. Price thinks kids have impressionable minds, so he likes being able to put the good lessons in their heads. 

“I try to leave a lesson to the kids that you can do whatever you want with this world,” Price said. “Whatever you want in this world, you can do it. I hope I leave students with that legacy.”