On a November afternoon, Joseph Neequaye walks down the hallway of the New Research Building on Georgetown’s Hilltop campus. The evening custodian knows most of the floor’s lab technicians, waving to each as he passes them by.
“Everybody is always saying, ‘Joseph, Joseph, Joseph.’ Didn’t you see it [as we walked]?” he laughs. “They keep me happy.”
Neequaye works at one of the Georgetown University Medical Center’s research buildings, taking care to keep the hallways and laboratories clean and ready for use.
He spent most of his life in Ghana and immigrated to the U.S. when he was 42, looking for a job to support his four children. He joined his brother, who was living in Virginia, and worked in a condominium building and hotel for 20 years.
He was drawn to the university after a friend recommended it and after admiring Georgetown basketball, he said. After working the evening shifts for the past two years at the university, he hasn’t looked back.
“Joseph always has a smile when he enters the room and says hello to everyone,” said Michel Fallah (G’27, M’27), an MD/Ph.D. student in the building. “On an evening or late night at work, it is such a joy to see Joseph.”
When he’s not working, Neequaye is cheering on his favorite soccer teams, listening to Bob Marley and cooking his favorite dishes from Ghana.
Follow along on a typical day in the life of Neequaye, what he would wake up at 4 a.m. for, and what brings him joy in his day.
I remember my first day at Georgetown: I felt a little nervous. [At my previous job in the hotel], they were not friendly. When I got here, they were very nice to me. There was always [someone] asking, “Joseph, how are you doing? What is going on?” 
My typical workday looks like: I start at 2 p.m., but I always like to come early and relax. I take the bus and the train [to Georgetown], so I want to get here earlier than later. I go to the Leavey Center and order a pizza or bring my own food. When I get started, I sweep the floors and the labs and pull out the trash.
I take a break around 6:00 p.m. and relax. Sometimes I eat crackers or cookies or am on my phone. After, I might continue the trash, mop and vacuum or dust. I clean the bathrooms, make sure everything is clean. There’s a lot of things going on. I leave around 10:30 p.m. I take a shower, relax, watch some news and go to sleep.
What gets me out of bed in the morning: Everybody is always saying, “Joseph, Joseph, Joseph.” Didn’t you see it [as we walked]? [laughs]. So I’m happy. I always like to be here. Sometimes on the weekends, I’m bored. If I don’t watch soccer or go out, I miss Georgetown.
The team I will wake up at 4 a.m. for: I’m a Chelsea supporter. People from my country play for Chelsea, that’s why I choose Chelsea as my favorite team. If they’re playing in [a tournament], I wake up at four o’clock in the morning [to watch]. I have their jerseys. In my country, I support Accra Hearts of Oak [a professional football team in Ghana]. They’re from the capital city and so am I. I have their jersey too.
My music of choice is: Reggae. I know a lot of Bob Marley’s music.
My specialty dish: Fufu and cassava, it’s like mashed potatoes. And peanut butter soup. You need to taste it. Go to Adams Morgan to try. Get some with rice.
What brings me joy at work: The people, my customers. “Joseph, how are you doing?” “Joseph, how was your weekend?” They bring me joy.
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