The Internet Is Obsessed With This Story Of An Elementary School Naming Their Building After Their Janitor
Last week, I came across maybe my favorite viral story of 2024. An elementary school in Swedeborg, Missouri, voted unanimously to name its main building after its longtime custodian of 30 years, Claudene Wilson.
Clips from the CBS News story went viral across social media, showcasing Claudene’s impact on the students and the many roles she’s taken on at the school — serving as everything from a fill-in bus driver to a lunch lady, landscaper, electrician, and phone operator.
"She just really dedicated herself to this school," one student said in the video.
The story has received an outpouring of love and support from the internet. One viral tweet, viewed 6 million times, reads, "not these elementary school kids voting to name their school after the janitor who does the work of five men 😭."
"This rocks so much," another person said.
They named a new elementary school building in Missouri after the janitor at their school. This rocks so much pic.twitter.com/0GMGZSTb9G
— microplastics frequency resonator (@DiabolicalSpuds) October 22, 2024
CBS News / @DiabolicalSpuds / Via Twitter: @DiabolicalSpuds
Someone else shared, "unironically we should be granting these honors to people in our community more often. everyday people do more for those around them than some guy who died 200 yrs ago and has already had countless things named after him. people like claudine deserve the recognition."
unironically we should be granting these honors to people in our community more often. everyday people do more for those around them than some guy who died 200 yrs ago and has already had countless things named after him. people like claudine deserve the recognition https://t.co/ff2Zcs7wHj
— Emy 🦇🖤 (@alpacapresident) October 23, 2024
CBS News / @alpacapresident / Via Twitter: @alpacapresident
Mark Sasfy, the assistant administrator for the Swedeborg School Board and Claudene's colleague for 12 years, shared with BuzzFeed how the tribute came to be. With Claudene's upcoming retirement, the board sought a way to commemorate her dedicated "service and sacrifice" to the school. In a unanimous decision, they voted to rename the school's main building in her honor.
"All school board members were very supportive," Sasfy told BuzzFeed. He explained that the hardest part was keeping the whole process secret from Claudene and figuring out who would be the one to tell her. "With luck, we did it at a public event. I believe that Claudene, past her gruff exterior, was very touched by the action taken by the board of education."
Claudene tends to take a humble approach to the honor, but students and teachers say there's no one more deserving. "She has given so much of herself to our school and community. Claudene has put a level of personal pride and care into her job here at Swedeborg that will likely never be replaced," Kristi Cargill, a teacher at Swedeborg, who's worked with Claudene for 14 years, told BuzzFeed.
Alongside her duties as a janitor, Cargill explained that Claudene nurtured a sense of care with both teachers and students at the school. "Each day, she would check on each of the teachers to make sure they didn't need anything. She would peek through the window of the classroom door with a thumbs-up, asking if everything was okay," Cargill shared. "She personally would offer struggling students incentives to get their work in or grades up."
As this person said, "When you're loved and admired by kids, you're definitely a good human being."
When you’re loved and admired by kids, you’re definitely a good human being
— Gracey 🦋 (@Gracebal0) October 23, 2024
As for Claudene, Sasfy told BuzzFeed she has been "overwhelmed by the amount of attention" since the story aired. "She has been stopped at Walmart with people saying 'There she is,' to receiving mail and packages from strangers across the United States," he said. Sasfy explained that while Claudene isn't on social media, the staff has been keeping her updated on all the supportive online comments. "Claudene is very humbled by the attention, and as she tells everyone, 'I just do it for the kids.'"
"Claudene is one of a kind. She is humble and never, ever self-seeking. It is fun to see her receive recognition that she would not ever have expected or sought after, and it is refreshing to see the qualities of hard work, dependability, and caring for others gaining so much attention," Cargill shared.
"We are so blessed to have her as a forever part of our Swedeborg family. We are honored to have our school building bear her name, and hope her legacy carries on inside as well."
Claudene's legacy lives on at Swedeborg, but also now in the eyes of the internet. Many people pointed out that stories like Claudene's are just more proof that investing adequately in educators and school staff makes a difference...
Further proof that kids know best. This is more evidence that caring, invested adults make all the difference in education. We need to pay educators and school staff adequately. https://t.co/ge7gqDL3yU https://t.co/RHlprGdR6I
— Emily Rauscher (@rauscher_emily) October 24, 2024
CBS News / @rauscher_emily / Via Twitter: @rauscher_emily
I once worked at an elementary school with a custodian just like this woman. Everyone loved her. When she left it changed the culture of the whole school
— Becca 🌊 🗳️ 🌻 (@24trump4prison) October 23, 2024
...and many also hoped that Claudene was reaping some benefits for working all that overtime.
hope she has a good union and a fat pension with all that overtime!!!! https://t.co/o18L2rRh0b
— yung hegelian (@lilacisms) October 24, 2024
CBS News / @lilacisms / Via Twitter: @lilacisms
Overall, Claudene's story gave people a little shred of hope in this very chaotic world. Here's some more heartwarming reactions:
The kids are all right ✨
— MeltedBarbie✨🫧🦋 (@MeltedDollParts) October 23, 2024
This is, without exaggeration, one of the best things I’ve ever watched in my life https://t.co/h1KnKbm8Tx
— Jax ⚡️Philosopher Queen (@Diamond_Jax) October 23, 2024
CBS News / @Diamond_Jax / Via Twitter: @Diamond_Jax
i love when kids are at that age where they’re smart enough to tell when someone’s a good person, hardworking, and dedicated, but haven’t learned the classism that would make them look down on someone who doesn’t make a lot of money or have a high status career/background. https://t.co/f4E40M4Kk4
— homosexual communist (@cmmnstcmdmp) October 23, 2024
CBS News / @cmmnstcmdmp / Via Twitter: @cmmnstcmdmp
she doesn’t think she’s special enough to have the building named after her? pic.twitter.com/nGLjzcZocY
— Mr. Coach Purcell (@HiattPurcell) October 22, 2024
Warner Bros. Pictures / Via Twitter: @HiattPurcell
And lastly:
I've seen enough make her mayor
— Dogwisdom (@DogWisdomPoker) October 22, 2024
