Maury Forrester is a hard-working school janitor. But decades ago, he started work on a program that we all know and most of us are in awe of.
Thanks to shows like The Simpsons and Scrubs, janitors can easily be stereotyped.
But Maury Forrester shows why you should never do this.
Instead, we should see people as the individuals they are. Because, as Maury’s story shows, there’s often a lot more to janitors than meets the eye.
The students at Coulter Grove Intermediate School have all heard about Maury’s past. In fact, some of them didn’t believe it at first.
“It makes you wonder, like, how did he get here?” – Child talking to CBS Evening News.
It turns out that Maury was once involved in the space race.
Yes, that space race, which ended with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin setting foot on the moon.
Were you expecting that?
Of course, the space race, directly and indirectly, involved thousands of people. So what exactly was Maury’s role?
When the Saturn and Apollo space missions were at full steam, Maury was working for a subcontractor that was designing launch components.
Specifically, he was an electromechanical designer.
So things that Maury designed and built have been to space and the moon.
In fact, some things that Maury touched may well be on the moon in the present day!
And Maury didn’t just do this for a month or so. He has certificates and awards that document his many years of work on space programs.
And they also prove beyond a doubt that he actually did work on those historic missions!
Now, Maury is a senior citizen. So how did he end up working as a janitor?
It all started in 2014. Maury was unfortunate enough to suffer from a stroke. He lost a significant amount of cognitive function.
As Maury recovered, he had a realization. If he was going to get his life back, he needed to work.
He heard about the janitor position and realized that it would give him the opportunity to get the exercise that he needed.
So he started working at the school. And he found that he liked the job.
It wasn’t just the work, it was getting to know the community.
“They’re happy to see me. And I’m happy to see them. I’ve gotten to care very much for them. – Maury Forrester talking to CBS Evening News.
In fact, the students have even told Maury that they love him.
Maury says that hearing that makes all the difference to him. He also claims that no one at NASA ever told him that. So that’s one advantage that the school has over the world’s premier space agency!
CBS Evening News interviewed Maury and asked him if he would return to his old job if he fully recovered from his stroke.
Amazingly, he said that he wouldn’t give up his janitor role. He’s just that happy!
The news report then appeared on YouTube, where it soon became popular.
To date, it has gained over 700,000 views. It also has over 12,000 likes and 600 comments. People have been saying things like this:
Clearly, the school has really helped an amazing person gain a whole new lease on life.
Maury shows that almost always, there’s a lot more to people than meets the eye… Press play on the video below to hear more about this heartwarming story!
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