The hands behind the Beauty

Spanning nearly 300 acres, more than 130 major buildings and 5.8 million square feet of space, the university requires constant upkeep. With an annual operations and maintenance budget of $30 million, and more than $1.5 billion invested in new and renovated facilities since 2007, the scale of the campus demands continuous behind-the-scenes labor.

As a united front, the TCU maintenance staff approaches each day with a positive, can-do attitude–taking pride in their work and contributing to the campus’s high standard of excellence.

Emmanuel Malagon

General Access Technician

With tens of thousands of TCU ID cards on campus getting tapped on doors and gaining access to buildings, many students don’t think twice about it. Behind every tap, there is someone making it happen.

For Emmanuel Malagon, a general access technician, those small taps are part of a much bigger responsibility–keeping the campus secure and accessible for students, faculty and staff, as well as visitors. 

Malagon maintains the access systems, security features and infrastructure that allow classrooms, events and media productions to operate smoothly. His work often goes unnoticed, but it plays an essential role in supporting the campus experience that has helped TCU earn recognition as one of the most beautiful college campuses in the country.

Malagon begins his mornings at 8 a.m., reviewing work orders that could take him anywhere on campus. Some days involve maintaining parking garage gates or troubleshooting proxy readers. Other tasks include repairing handicapped door systems or checking network logs for access points.

“There are a lot of details that must be accounted for,” Malagon said, “and when all of those details come together, it feels good to play a part in that.”

For Malagon, the work is also personal.

Raised about 10 minutes from campus, his connection to TCU runs deep. His mother worked at the university for more than 20 years, his aunt currently works on campus, and his younger sister recently graduated with a degree in social work. Also, a benefit Malagon gets from his job is being able to take six credit hours per semester, and he’s been experimenting with classes in kinesiology and sports broadcasting.

“I give it my all,” Malagon said. “With my family’s involvement at TCU, it adds a little more to my work.”

He has found a second home within the TCU maintenance staff. Malagon and other staff members regularly play basketball games in the TCU Recreation Center throughout the week.

Before becoming an access technician, Malagon worked in housekeeping, giving him a firsthand perspective on the work that goes into maintaining the campus environment.

“Hearing the [TCU campus beauty] ranking makes me feel good and proud,” Malagon said. “Especially since I came from housekeeping, I know how important the work is.”

He said the appearance and functionality of the campus depend on the combined efforts of multiple departments–from the grounds crew and housekeeping staff to access technicians responsible for keeping building systems operating properly.

Melchor Hernandez

Groundskeeper

Whether he has a shovel or a leaf blower in his hand, Melchor Hernandez can be found working across some of the campus’s busiest areas, helping maintain the spaces students use every day.

Hernandez, who has worked at TCU for 11 years, is part of a seven-person grounds crew responsible for maintaining outdoor spaces across campus, including the Campus Commons, Schollmaier Arena and the Dee J. Kelly Alumni and Visitors Center. Hernandez’s brother works on the crew that maintains the athletic fields.

“It is beautiful here,” Hernandez said. “Everywhere you go, it’s very nice because we all work together to keep the campus as clean as we can.”

Originally from Guanajuato, Mexico, Hernandez spent 24 years working at Chili’s before deciding to pursue something new. This desire for change is something he said continues to motivate him in his work.

“I love my job at TCU because I learn something different every day,” Hernandez said.

His work includes trimming trees, maintaining lawns and planting oak trees across campus. Throughout the year, he and his team also handle the large volume of fallen leaves that cover the grounds.

“We have a lot of fun with the leaves,” he said.

For Hernandez, the job is not just about making the campus look polished and pristine, it is about the people he works with and starting each day with a routine he enjoys.

“I wake up, drink my coffee and come in happy because I love all the people I work with,” he said.

That sense of community extends beyond work. Hernandez often shares lunch with his team and plays basketball at the Rec Center with his fellow coworkers, including Malagon.

“I feel my work is important because of the community I’ve built at TCU,” he said.

After more than a decade on TCU’s campus, Hernandez said his pride in his work has only grown.

“I’m really happy to work here,” he said.

Maria Bedolla

Facilities Services Supervisor

Bright yellow “wet floor” signs are hard to miss–yet so easy for many to ignore. Each day, people walk into freshly cleaned buildings across campus without thinking twice about it. 

The work begins long before many wake up.

Maria Bedolla, a facilities supervisor, arrives on campus at 4:30 a.m. every day to prepare for the day ahead. 

By 5 a.m., she is reviewing work orders, organizing schedules and communicating with the custodial staff she supervises to ensure buildings across campus are clean and ready for classes, events and visitors.

For Bedolla, the work is about more than maintaining buildings–it’s about supporting the people who use them.

“We are here because of the students,” Bedolla said.

Born and raised in Fort Worth, Bedolla has worked at TCU for 18 years. She became a facilities supervisor about a year ago and now leads a team of 12 custodial staff members responsible for cleaning and maintaining multiple campus buildings.

Her role includes distributing daily assignments, managing rotations and ensuring spaces meet university standards. On event days, the work becomes even more detailed.

When events, such as jazz festivals, theater productions, or anything news-related, are hosted, Bedolla’s team begins preparing the space up to a week in advance. On the day of the event, they return to make sure everything remains clean and ready for guests.

“Sometimes the housekeepers and custodial staff don’t get recognized for the hard work they do,” Bedolla said, “and we do it for the students and the faculty.”

Her motivation for working at TCU has always been deeply personal.

Bedolla said one of the main reasons she began working at the university was to help support her daughter’s education. In 2024, her daughter graduated from TCU–a milestone Bedolla said made her years of work worthwhile.

“She was my motivation,” Bedolla said.

Outside of work, Bedolla spends her days off caring for her mother. She said she remains committed to supporting both her family and her team as much as she can.

“I’m here to encourage anybody and lend a helping hand, whether it’s for work or personal growth,” Bedolla said. “My goal for my team is for them to help one another, respect each other and be united as a team.” 

She said creating a strong team environment is one of her most important responsibilities, and continues to be something she carries throughout her TCU career.

Also, seeing TCU recognized as one of the most beautiful college campuses in the country makes the work feel meaningful, she said.

“It makes us proud because we take it day by day, and we do our best every day,” Bedolla said.

For Bedolla, the reward comes from knowing the work she and her team do helps create the campus experience students and visitors love to see every day.

“I feel every day my work matters,” she said. “When I go home, I feel proud of the work we do.”

Guillermo Ornelas

Fire Systems Supervisor

On most days, students move through classrooms, residence halls and stadiums without thinking about the systems designed to keep them safe.

For Guillermo Ornelas, that safety is the focus of his work every day.

As the fire systems supervisor, Ornelas oversees the fire protection systems across campus–from alarm panels in residence halls and academic buildings to sprinkler systems designed to activate in emergencies.

His position places him at the center of TCU’s life safety operations, working closely with TCU Police to respond to alarms, conduct safety drills and ensure buildings meet fire protection standards.

“The importance of my job is life safety, so I deal with life or death,” Ornelas said. “Life safety is our priority, so it’s very important for us to be on campus.”

Originally from Stockton, California, Ornelas moved to Fort Worth with his wife and has worked at TCU for five years. His career in fire protection and life safety spans over two decades–a background that prepared him to manage the systems that monitor nearly every building on campus.

“You just don’t know what’s going to happen every day, and that’s what makes it interesting,” Ornelas said.

Sometimes the alarms are triggered by small accidents such as burnt popcorn in a dorm room or a curling iron left on for too long. Other times, the calls require a more urgent response. 

Beyond daily monitoring, much of the team’s work happens in preparation for major campus events.

Ornelas’ team arrives at TCU’s Amon G. Carter Stadium four hours in advance of football games. They walk through every room, storage area and corridor to ensure fire extinguishers are in place and safety equipment is accessible. 

The same attention to detail applies when large media events or productions come to campus.

When “Landman” filmed scenes on campus, Ornelas coordinated with the production crew to implement additional safety measures. Extra fire extinguishers were installed and systems were checked to ensure filming locations met safety requirements.

He and his team also recently prepared the Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena for ESPN coverage and have ensured everything is ready for baseball season.

“So much goes into preparing for events and the media,” Ornelas said. “You see the presentation, but you don’t see what leads up to the presentation.”

This preparation can make a life-saving difference.

There was an incident several years ago when a fire started in a residence hall after a charger malfunctioned. Due to the fire protection systems being properly maintained, the alarm activated and the sprinkler system quickly put out the fire while students evacuated safely. 

“From the maintenance we do with the equipment, that saved a life that day,” Ornelas said.

Moments like that reinforce the importance of the work, even if most people never see it. Still, he said being a part of the TCU community and working with his team members make the job rewarding.

“I love the job and so do the guys on my team,” Ornelas said. “There’s such a great community here at TCU.”

Recognition from TCU’s campus beauty ranking also reflects the efforts of employees across many departments.

“It makes us feel special just to be recognized for all the hard work that every staff member does here on campus,” Ornelas said. “Not only to make the place shine, but also the people.”

Ricardo Medina

Groundskeeper

Before most students step onto TCU’s sidewalks, Ricardo Medina has already begun shaping the campus they will walk through.

For Medina, a groundskeeper who has worked at TCU for three years, the job is about maintaining everything outside–from sprucing up trees and bushes to keeping the grounds clean and presentable.

Medina’s workday starts at 7 a.m. with a brief check-in with his team before preparing for the day’s tasks. By the time students begin moving across campus, he is already at work.

“I really love my job,” Medina said.

Like Hernandez, Medina is also from Guanajuato, Mexico. He spent 30 years working in a barbecue restaurant before deciding he wanted a change. 

“I used to love cooking, but I wanted to do something new,” he said. “I love to be outside and work on the plants.”

Some of his responsibilities include ensuring outdoor spaces remain clean by maintaining lawns, tending to trees and bushes and refreshing soil. However, some aspects of the job require more skill than people might expect.

One of those is planting trees.

“It is easy to assume that planting trees is easy,” Medina said, “but it actually takes some knowledge.”

When digging the hole for the tree, it needs to be a certain depth and width, the roots need to be inspected, air pockets must be eliminated and each tree must be watered properly.

Considering TCU is known to be a tree campus, precision when planting TCU’s iconic trees is crucial.

The work can also be physically demanding, especially when there are multiple tasks to complete in a limited amount of time.

“We do whatever we can the best we can,” he said. 

Despite the challenges, Medina said the most rewarding part of his job comes from interacting with the people on campus.

“I like to meet new people,” he said. “[Students] tell us how beautiful everything looks. They say they have been to other campuses and it is not the same.”

Hearing that feedback reinforces the importance of his work, considering campus ratings such as the Princeton Review’s relies heavily on student responses.

“It makes me feel good,” he said.

From maintaining the beauty that earns TCU national recognition to preparing campus for visiting media crews, the maintenance staff's work helps keep the university ready for both everyday life and the spotlight.