The Distinguished Service Award is presented to select Kirkwood Community College
employees who are nominated by fellow employees and voted on as part of the college’s
employee recognition committee. This year, Austin Hutchcroft, custodian, was one of the
recipients.
“It was surreal,” Hutchcroft said. “I didn’t think I would get something you could call
prestigious. It just felt out of place for a while. It felt like I shouldn’t be the one who got it.”
Hutchcroft goes out of his way to greet and chat with students while cleaning and maintaining
campus, leaving a positive impact on many.
“It makes everyone’s day better with little conversations,” Hutchcroft said. “It makes it seem
like a community. I’ll greet anyone who makes eye contact.”
Hutchcroft’s impact is attributed to brief conversations between point A and point B, which
can be grounding for someone under stress.
“Most things don’t need more than a greeting. I’m surprised how many people say it means a
lot to them. I have had a lot of students thank me for that,” Hutchcroft said.
Andrew Freeman, director of Trio SSS Traditional, was also honored with an award last year
and agreed it was a surreal experience to be recognized.
Freeman won the Honorary Student Award. “It’s probably the highlight of my career because
when you’re honored by the students, that means so much more,” Freeman said.
Freeman described the ceremony as a validating experience, with an auditorium full of
Kirkwood staff recognizing one another’s accomplishments. He said he was delighted Hutchcroft
won an award.
“I loved it. I know Austin — who doesn’t? He’s everywhere,” Freeman said.
“I feel like that’s one of the great things about this award. People recognize when there’s
somebody who plays a supportive role here, and Austin does that,” he added.
The day-to-day work of a custodian allows time for solitude, which Hutchcroft said he
appreciates. He enjoys being in the background, maintaining the campus and his relationships
with staff and students alike.
He said he appreciates when students pick up after themselves, but the biggest challenge is
anything biohazardous.
“I am able to clean stuff, do my job, make connections and chat with people,” Hutchcroft said.
Categories: Campus News, News
