STEVE CAYWOOD: ONE OF THE TU GOOD GUYS

I have to admit, when I first decided to interview the man who cleans my residence hall, there was a tiny, unrealistic part of me hoping he would go on some crazy rant about how ungrateful and snobby the students are. It just would have been so dramatic, you know?

Well, Steve Caywood is not plotting against TU students. In fact, he is one of the nicest men I have ever met.

Steve is one of those very earnest-looking people who seems like he could be your best friend’s dad. He smiles easily and chuckles a little when you catch him off guard. And he really enjoys his job.

“It’s actually almost a privilege” to clean the residence halls, he says, because “the students are all great. I love being here.”

After being self-employed for nearly five years and working for the Oklahoma Fixture Company for 16 years before that, working on the TU maintenance staff is a big change for Steve. But he feels like his work is important, because it allows students to focus on schoolwork instead of worrying about whether or not the floor tiles have been cleaned.

“When you’re 45 years old and you’re starting over, it’s hard,” he says. “But it doesn’t really matter what I’m doing. If I can help the kids to succeed, then it’s a good thing.”

--Laura Hermann