Swedenborg, Missouri — When residents of the small community of Swedeborg in central Missouri decided earlier this year to name the main building of the District III elementary school campus Swedeborg, everyone knew it had to be ‘act a truly special person.
“It has to be someone that you know is right,” student Nate Lein told CBS News.
Throughout history, many national figures have lived up to these expectations. There have also been many famous Missourians who would have been great choices to celebrate and inspire.
But in the end, Swedeborg went with Claudene Wilson, 64, the school’s longtime K-8 caretaker.
“She’s really dedicated to this school,” student Eli Huff said.
“You can get her a vacuum cleaner, and she’ll appreciate it because she really likes to clean,” added student Gunner Jennings.
Wilson is so dedicated to the school that over the past 30 years she has taken on many additional responsibilities, including greeting students as they arrive each day, coordinating transportation, taking care of lunch, setting up landscaping and operation of facilities.
“And the next thing I know, I was leaving at six in the morning and coming home around 7:30 at night,” Wilson told CBS News of his work schedule.
His motivation for doing all this?
“Children, children are in your heart,” she said.
On Aug. 26, the Swedeborg School Board voted unanimously for the new name, Claudene Wilson Learning Center.
“That’s what makes Claudene who she is,” said Chuck Boren, president of the Swedeborg school board. “…These children get sick, you think they go to the nurse to begin with? They go to her. If they have had a bad night, they go to her. And she is there for each of them them.”
Today, there is really only one person in the entire community who is not convinced that Wilson deserved this honor: Wilson herself.
“It touches your heart, but I don’t think my name should be on a building somewhere,” Wilson said.
In the United States, most buildings and institutions are named after iconic people who accomplished great things. And Swedenborg is no exception. This community just defines greatness a little differently.
Student Alex Lein said he wanted to be like Wilson.
“That’s what everyone should want to be, you know,” Lein said. “That’s what I want to be.”
Steve Hartman
