BOISE - A beloved school custodian got a big surprise this past week, as students and staff at Taft Elementary School pulled out all the stops to pay tribute to the man, known simply as "Mr. Mustafa."
Mustafa Okanavic came to the U.S. from Bosnia, earned American citizenship, and has been the
custodian at Taft for 11 years.
He'll be the first to tell you, he does a lot more at school than just his job. The school and the people in it are like family to him.
And they return the sentiment.
On Tuesday, the entire student body gathered in the school's gym to celebrate Mr. Mustafa.
"This person greets a lot of you every morning when you come in before school," Principal Tim Lowe said to the students. "This is our chance to tell Mustafa thank you, so give him a big round of applause."
Mustafa was surprised to find out he was person being honored.
"I come from a very troubled area Bosnia so, and I found a new home and I am thankful for this," he explained. "And you guys my family."
Ask anyone, and they'll tell you - Mr. Mustafa is the heart of this school.
"I try to help those kids." he said. "It's not in my job description but I put myself in that position, those kids need help, talk,"
He's adored by staff, and loved by the kids.
"We have an awful lot of families that struggle for a lot of reasons," Principal Lowe said. "The fact that he was an immigrant himself, he has a special understanding of a lot of our kids who come here from different countries and what it's like to learn a new language and to be immersed in American culture."
There's something else that makes Mr. Mustafa so popular - his alter-ego, "DJ Moose," plays music for the kids every Friday at lunch.
"The kids love it and we like to dance - first eat - then dance a little bit," he said.
And while he is a ton of fun, Mr. Mustafa is also zeroed in on student safety.
"He is a significant part of making sure Taft is a safe school, and these days it's such an important issue," Principal Lowe said. "He has a military background that he applies every day here and he is really a stickler."