During his 2L year, Rehan Staton was on his way to class at Harvard Law School, and greeted a custodian as he passed, saying “Hi, how are you doing?”
As Staton recalled in a recent Washington Post profile, the custodian was shocked, replying “Me?” “Yes, you,” Staton replied, and she responded almost incredulously, “I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were talking to me,” adding “[s]tudents would usually rather look at the wall than talk to me.”
But, Staton is not your normal student walking the hallowed halls in the Cambridge, MA law school. In his former life, Staton was a sanitation worker, and “I remember what it’s like working that type of job,” stated Staton.
After completing his first year of law school, or 1L year, virtually, Staton finally arrived on campus and immediately engaged with not just his fellow students and faculty, “but he made a special effort with custodians, cafeteria workers and security staffers.”
“We text, we hug when we see each other, I call them aunts and uncles,” continuing, “I have felt very safe, taken care of and loved, specifically because of the bonds that I have with my support staff.” Staton says, “When I see them, I see me…I view them as my equal. They are just my peers.”
Staton used to dream of becoming a professional boxer after graduating high school, but a double shoulder injury during his senior year dashed his dreams of going pro. Trying to quickly pivot, he began hastily applying to colleges, but did not receive a single acceptance letter.
As Staton says, “So, I ended up going to work as a garbage man,” and gives credit to this time in his life for helping him realize his own growth and potential. His former colleagues at the garbage trucking company in Bladensburg, MD were the ones encouraging him to re-apply to college.
After being accepted to the University of Maryland, “he continued hauling trash at daybreak before rushing to attend classes…sometimes in his yellow uniform when there was no time to shower.” Staton told Washington Post how he would try and get a seat in the back, so he could avoid being glared at and judged by his peers.
When he was accepted to the prestigious Harvard Law School, Staton received a wealth of encouragement and support, including having his tuition covered by filmmaker Tyler Perry.
Three years later, he’s now preparing to graduate this upcoming May, and he has been focused on giving back to Harvard’s support staffers, including the food service workers, custodians, and electricians, feeling that “they were not getting the recognition they deserved for helping the school to run smoothly.”
Staton, using his savings from his summer associate job at a law firm, purchased 100 Amazon gift cards to give out to the school’s support staff, even writing a handwritten thank you note to accompany each gift. When told that many felt unseen by students, Staton has gone on a crusade to change this, starting “the Reciprocity Effect, a nonprofit organization to support what he calls the ‘unsung heroes’ who work behind the scenes,” which also provides recognition to workers and need-based grants.
Staton’s former employer, even stepped in to chip in, generously donating $50,000 towards the organization.
What’s next for Staton? After graduating, he’ll be taking the bar exam this summer and starting work at a New York City law firm, and still working toward expanding “the initiative beyond Harvard to educational institutions across the country. He wants support staffers everywhere to feel recognized.”
