Staff Spotlight: Mario Villegas, Custodian, Facilities Services

Custodian Mario Villegas has been with CSUDH Facilities Services for almost seven years, contributing to keeping the campus looking great on a daily basis. As someone who says he “loves to learn something new every day,” Villegas is proud to work on campus and “be part of a community where people are encouraged to get an education.”

In his position at CSUDH, Villegas is responsible for keeping his assigned area of the campus ship-shape. Whether he’s cleaning classrooms or restrooms, or making sure the carpets are cleaned and vacuumed and trash is picked up, Villegas knows that he’s making vital contributions toward creating a safe and healthy environment for the Toro community. “I do the best job I can every day, and it makes me proud because I enjoy making people happy.”

Villegas enjoys working at CSUDH because of its “community feel,” and loves the interactions he has with fellow Toro staff and students throughout the day. He appreciates the praise he gets from faculty and staff for his service, and says he wouldn’t switch jobs with anyone on campus. “I love what I do!” he replies.

When he’s not on campus, Villegas likes to work on home improvement projects “to please my wife” – an attitude that proves he definitely is learning something every day! He enjoys watching all kinds of movies, and says that if they made a film about his life, he would choose Nicolas Cage to play the lead role.

Before getting hired at CSUDH, Villegas’ favorite job was working as a chef–for the same reasons he loves working on campus: “I was interesting, and it always feels good to please people and make them happy.”

Villegas has found CSUDH to be an open and welcoming work environment, and is excited about the future of the campus. “It’s really special to be part of the Toro community, and to see it grow and thrive after all these years.”