LINCTHICUM, Md. — You don’t earn the title of “custodian of the year” at an airport that’s won awards for having the cleanest restrooms, by calling out of work often. And in 11 years, Sophie Lee hasn’t missed a single day of work.
"No work would be boring. Being here is actually pretty fun. Learning things is fun," Lee told WMAR-2 News.
Sophie is one of nearly 300 people employed at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport through a partnership with Chimes, a Baltimore-based nonprofit that provides jobs to people with disabilities.
“They’re such dedicated professionals at what they do," Ricky Smith, executive director and CEO of the Maryland Aviation Administration, which operates BWI, said. "I just don’t know how we would compare to other airports if we didn’t have the dedicated professionals that we have at Chimes."
“Many individuals with disabilities can’t find jobs. It’s a hidden workforce that not a lot of people know about," Chimes president and CEO Steve DaRe said.
For Lee, she says working at the airport has helped her break out of her comfort zone.
“Kinda scared sometimes, but I just believe in myself," she said.
Naturally shy, interacting with new people every day was hard for her at first. But now it's one of her favorite parts of the job.
"Little by little, one step at a time," she explained. Her philosophy is: "Learn lessons, and try to think positive."
The partnership between Chimes and BWI started more than 25 years ago. Smith and DaRe say the employees not only keep the place spic and span, they also serve as ambassadors for the airport and the city as a whole.
“Our people really know the airport inside and out," DaRe said. "It’s the entrance to Baltimore, people come in and out, they see Chimes in action, and it’s just a tremendous advertisement for what we do."
"They just bring a high level of pride because they get to demonstrate the value that they can bring to the airport, to our customers, to the city because they are ambassadors. Passengers probably meet them first before they meet a lot of other people," Smith said.
Lee certainly takes pride in her work, and she hopes other people see the value she and her co-workers provide to the airport.
"So people know what we're doing really well here and so that everybody would follow the rules and not make us feel bad about our disabilities. I hope people learn that."
She's looking forward to another decade of good work; her next goal is getting her driver's license so she can drive herself to and from her job, and maintain that perfect attendance record.
