Louisiana-based Joseph “Gabe” Sonnier is living proof that it’s never too late to pursue your dreams. After nearly three decades as a janitor, he decided to become a teacher, ultimately becoming the principal of the very same school he once cleaned.

Sonnier’s journey took a turn in 1985 when Westley Jones, the then-principal of Port Barre Elementary, pulled him aside for a life-changing conversation. “He said, ‘Being a janitor is a good job and it’s an honest living,’” Sonnier, now 63, recalls. “But I taught you unlimited potential. I think you’d benefit the students better as an educator. I’d rather see you grading papers than picking them up.’”

Encouraged by the principal’s belief in his potential, Sonnier enrolled at Louisiana State University Eunice and the University of Louisiana. He balanced a demanding schedule, working mornings and evenings at the school while pursuing his studies. “I’d finish there and then go home and do homework,” he says. “It was hardly much rest.”

Fortunately, Sonnier’s hard work and dedication paid off. In 2006, at age 39, he graduated with an associate’s degree in general studies from Louisiana State University Eunice, and in 2008 he received a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Louisiana. He then got his first teaching job, and even went on to complete a master’s degree in Science and Education.

In 2013, Sonnier became the principal of the very school he had cleaned for 27 years. Reflecting on his journey, he says, “Who would have thought 33 years ago, when I set foot on this campus, that I’d eventually be the leader of this school?”

Sonnier originally put his dreams on hold after graduating high school to help his family. Following his parents’ separation, he stepped in to help his mother with bills by taking on various jobs, including construction, grocery work, and a position at a sawmill. Eventually, he became a janitor at Port Barre Elementary, following in the footsteps of his father, who had held the same role for much of his life.

“When I first started, it was my intention to work five, maybe 10 years as a janitor and then look to do something else,” says Sonnier. Though his time as a janitor lasted longer than he initially intended, he ultimately managed to transform his life, inspiring others along the way—including fellow staff members who pursued their own master’s degrees. “Don’t let your current situation define what you’ll become later,” Sonnier recommends. “I always tell them, it’s not where you start, it’s how you finish.”

Find out more about Sonnier’s story in the video below.

After nearly three decades as a janitor, Louisiana-based Joseph “Gabe” Sonnier studied to become a teacher and ultimately became the principal of the same school he once cleaned.