Elementary School Janitor for 27 Years Goes Back to College - Now He's the Principal (VIDEO)

By Eric Corpus, Monday, February 17, 2014

Gabe Sonnier is the principal at Port Barre Elementary in Port Barre, La., where he's worked for over 30 years. But his journey to the head of the school looked much different than most: Sonnier used to be the school's janitor.

His climb started in 1985 when then-principal Westley Jones told him, "I'd rather see you grading papers than picking them up." This inspired the 39-year-old Sonnier to go back to college. He had dropped out in 1979 to help his family financially.

After working full days and doing his homework at night, Sonnier earned his bachelor's degree, and moved from janitor to teacher in 2008. But he decided to aim even higher. He earned his master's degree, and last November, he was hired as principal of Port Barre Elementary.