School did not tell Hampton beforehand it had named the building after her. (Photo: Facebook/Aurbey ISD)
For 39 years, Marilyn Hampton worked as a custodian at a school district in Texas, US, cleaning buildings and helping children whenever she could. But decades after she began working at the Aubrey Independent School District, the 76-year-old has received an honour she never imagined. On October 21, officials announced that a new elementary school would be named after her, recognising the years she spent caring for students and supporting the school community, according to WFAA-TV. Hampton retired from her custodial position in 2022 after 39 years of service. Instead, officials invited her to a meeting of the district’s board of trustees on October 21.
Because of it, she never attended college and once believed she had failed in life.
She had been asked to attend under the impression that she would be discussing a school-related matter, according to The Guardian. Hampton’s journey was not one she had always felt proud of. She grew up in a family of eight children and was the only one among her siblings to complete high school. However, she did not go on to college, something that troubled her for years. She later came to see her life differently, particularly after spending much of it working with children. Her job at the school district involved keeping classrooms and other facilities clean, but Hampton did not limit herself to those responsibilities. She helped children with their assignments, bought school supplies for students who needed them and sometimes gave them rides. She also worked at ticket booths during school football games. These were not part of her regular cleaning duties, but they became part of how she contributed to the district. By then, she had become a familiar figure to students, teachers and staff members. Her years at the district eventually led officials to make the unusual decision of naming the new elementary school being built in Aubrey after her. The school district did not tell Hampton beforehand that it had decided to name the building after her. During the meeting, superintendent Shannon Saylor asked Hampton to unroll a red carpet near the speaker’s podium. It was a familiar request for someone who had spent years helping prepare school facilities for different activities.