KELLOGG — Dan Berry is cleaning up in a competition celebrating janitors across North America.

The Kellogg High School custodian is one of 12 finalists in the Tennant Company’s “Custodians Are Key” contest, which celebrates janitors as often-overlooked individuals who keep schools well-maintained places of learning.

For Berry, keeping the school grounds clean may be in the job description, but keeping student spirits up is what he considers the most important part of his work.

“Interacting with our students makes my job all that much more enjoyable,” Berry said.

Finalists were selected from 1,400 nominations from around the U.S. and Canada.

The news of his nomination came as a “pleasant surprise” to Berry, who prides himself on connecting with the students through music.

He introduces Kellogg students to the blues and often takes student recommendations to round out the school soundtrack and keep spirits up with up-tempo music. 

His nominator, Erin Stevenson, is a special education teacher at Kellogg High School and heard about the contest through an ad on social media. He submitted Berry’s name for consideration, calling him “an enormous asset to our school.”

“Dan is especially engaging with our students who have special needs. He goes out of his way to interact and communicate with them in their own unique ways,” Stevenson said in Berry’s nomination.

Talking students through their daily stresses and how they can learn from their experiences is a trait Berry was commended for in his nomination.

“Students love Dan and always look forward to working with him. He appreciates all of their own unique abilities and is always more than happy and patient to work with them,” Stevenson said.

Berry has gained a reputation at the school for being patient as a staff member who students feel comfortable talking to and even working alongside when they need an activity to focus on and decompress.

Berry will receive $500 for reaching the finals. In May, one of the 12 finalists will win a $5,000 prize for themselves and $10,000 for their school.

The other 11 finalists hail from Ohio, California, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Kansas, Utah, Georgia, Missouri and Wisconsin.

“These finalists are true leaders, aligning with our mission to create a cleaner, safer, and healthier world,” Brian Leland, Tennant Company’s vice president and general manager for North America, said in the announcement.