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A Texas school custodian burst into tears after she learned a new elementary school would be named in her honor — 39 years after she first started working for the district.
Marilyn Hampton, who retired this year, was surprised when the Aubrey Independent School District board of trustees announced Wednesday that “Elementary School Number Five” will be known as “Marilyn Hampton Elementary School” when it opens next year.
Superintendent Shannon Saylor had asked Hampton to roll out a red carpet in front of the speaker’s podium during the board meeting — much like tasks she handled over the years as a custodian.
“She may not have the official title of an educator, but she was in every meaningful sense a teacher and an educator at heart,” Saylor said of Hampton, according to footage that the school shared on social media.
Looking down at the carpet, Hampton then saw the name “Marilyn Hampton Elementary School.”
“You’re too good. I wasn’t expecting this. Thank y’all. I can’t speak,” Hampton said, before breaking down in tears and covering her face with her hands.
“Oh my goodness. Oh God. You all are the best,” she said.
Board members rushed to hug Hampton as she was shown an image of the school bearing her name.
“I didn’t bring my phone,” she said.
“That’s OK, it’ll be everywhere,” Saylor joked.
The school, which is based in Aubrey, Texas, is scheduled to open next August.
Hampton later revealed the recognition left her overwhelmed.
“I still can’t believe it. I haven’t stopped crying. My heart is full,” she told WTOC Friday.
Hampton, one of eight siblings, was the only one in her family to graduate from high school.
She recalled she once felt like a failure because she never went to college, but eventually came to see her path differently.
“I just thought, ‘You know, Marilyn? God put you where you are supposed to be.’ And I’m very happy with the way things turned out,” she said.
Saylor said Hampton did far more than keep school buildings running during her time in the district. She bought and delivered school supplies and helped students study for tests.
“She is truly Aubrey ISD,” Saylor declared to the outlet, adding that Hampton left a legacy of kindness, hard work and perseverance.
Hampton now spends time at the district’s Early Bird Learning Center, where she sits in a rocking chair and feeds a young girl named Claire.
“She’s a sweetheart. She’s got pretty eyes,” Hampton said.
The district gave Hampton a T-shirt bearing the new school’s name to mark the announcement.
“Can you believe it? I can’t. I cannot. All I can say is God is good,” she said.