Students in Swedeborg, Missouri, now go to a school named after someone whose care and dedication they’ve encountered firsthand.
On Aug. 26, the Swedeborg School Board voted unanimously to name its primary elementary school building on campus after Claudene Wilson, the K-8 school’s beloved longtime custodian, CBS News reported earlier this month.
“She has the ability to make an impact on so many lives,” Mark Sasfy, assistant administrator for the Swedeborg School Board, tells PEOPLE on Oct. 24.
Wilson, 64, has been a “permanent fixture” at Swedeborg, Sasfy says. Her unfailing care made her the natural choice for the honor. Students turn to her for help and support, and Wilson shows up for every one of them.
Since joining the school more than 30 years ago, Wilson has taken on responsibilities that extend well beyond her job description — including lunch duty, landscaping, painting and organizing transportation, to name a few. It’s nothing short of “extraordinary, selfless service,” says Charles Boren, the Swedeborg School Board president.
“She’s the lifeblood of the school,” Boren tells PEOPLE. “She’s the backbone of it.”
On the day of the August reveal, children stood on ladders to tear down the paper covering the new letters on the building, as a slightly confused Wilson stood front and center. Video shared by CBS News captured the name reveal, with cheers erupt -
ing from the small crowd of students, as Wilson shook her head in disbelief.
Student Alex Lein told CBS News in their segment that he wants to be just like Wilson someday, while another student, Eli Huff, recognized Wilson’s clear commitment and dedication to the school.
The feeling is, of course, mutual. "The kids really got to my heart,” Wilson tells PEOPLE. “I’ve watched them grow. Now, some of my older students, they’re bringing their kids here.”
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The school board president is one of those past students, Boren says. His last year at the K-8 school was Wilson's first, when she began working as a bus driver. Witnessing her “genuine concern for every child” throughout all these years, Boren says, has been truly special.
“We're such a small community. We’re so tight-knit,” Boren tells PEOPLE. “And at the center of it all, Claudene has always been a huge part of that."
At times, Wilson gets to the school long before the students arrive and leaves as it gets dark. But it’s time well spent.
"Kids, the kids is at your heart," Wilson told CBS News.
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