Claudene Wilson,a longtime guardian at a K-8 school in Swedeborg, Missoüri, knew she was appreciated by staff and students, but she was amazed when she showed up to school one day and saw the building was named after her.
"It was a shock," said Wilson, 64, who started as a guardian at the Swedeborg District III Elementary School in 1994. Wilson said supporting students has been the most important part of her job through the years. Every morning as they exit the school bus, Wilson greets each student with a smile. "I know them all by name. I know their moms and dads by name," she said, adding that students often go to her when they have a problem or need advice. She is happy to lend an ear.
After 30 years, Wilson retired from the small school— which has about 40 students— in July. Staff, students and community members agreed they wanted to honor Wilson's hard work and dedication. In late August, the school board voted unanimously to name the building after Wilson. They decided to call it the"Claudene Wilson Learning Center" to ensure her legacy and impact would live on for generations.
"She has made it such a priority in her life for the past 30 years, and we' ve been blessed to have her." said Mark Sasfy, the assistant administrator of the school. Sasfy said the goal in renaming the building after Wilson was not only to honor her decades of work, but also to encourage students to be kind, hardworking and supportive— like Wilson. Kids can learn something just from that. There's so much more to education than just reading, writing and mathematics.
