Photo by Samantha Davis. Bill Swope stands with a trophy he was given by the Marshall school board at his last meeting on Dec. 16. Swope is retiring from education after 55 years.

MARSHALL — Upon walking into any room and being asked, “How are you?,” Marshall’s Bill Swope always replies, “I’m blessed.”

Swope is retiring from education after a career that spanned over five decades, which originally started in 1969 and brought him to the Marshall school district 44 years ago.

“I have been very blessed to be in a career serving the education of children for 55 years,” Swope said. “I’ve been blessed to work with many wonderful colleagues throughout my career, especially teacher colleagues.”

Swope came to Marshall in 1980, and hasn’t left since. He’s held numerous roles through the district, primarily as an elementary school principal, but has served on the school board the last eight years.

At his final meeting last week on Dec. 16, all members of the board stood and applauded Swope, who appeared emotional, to honor the career he’s had.

“For more than five decades, you have brought wisdom, dedication, and an unwavering commitment to ensuring that every student in our district has the opportunity to thrive,” superintendent Jeremy Williams said about Swope. “You have seen the district grow and change, and through it all, your focus on what truly matters — the children — has never wavered.”

Through his time being principal, Swope had all three of board chair Matt Coleman’s daughters.

“I’ve never met anybody that connects with kids the way Bill does,” Coleman said. “He still asks me about my girls, who are all in their 30’s.”

Bill also was given a plaque for his retirement.

“I don’t think there’s a kid that Bill worked with where he can’t tell you which building they were in, or something about them,” Williams said. “Bill doesn’t forget.”

Swope, a Wisconsin native, got his teaching degree from Concordia University in St. Paul and his first gig was teaching 6th grade at St. Paul public schools from 1969-73.

Swope then got his first role as a principal in Atwater, Minn., from 1973-78.

He got the position after a former peer of Swope’s at Concordia stepped out of the role to help his father at the farm.

Swope was helping his friend at the farm when he got spontaneously asked to meet with the superintendent that day for an interview.

“Here I am in a grubby pair of jeans on that day, and I was 30 years old at the time,” Swope said. “We (him and the superintendent) just hit it off. I said, ‘I don’t have my license yet, Darrell, but I’m working on it.’ He said, ‘Send me your credentials and your resume,’ which I did, and I got hired a week later. I was just at the right place at the right time.”

From 1978-80, Swope pursued his doctorate at the University of Minnesota in Educational Leadership, where he also worked as a teacher and research assistant.

January of 1980 is when Swope first landed in Marshall, and was the Executive Director of the National Teacher Center at the Southwest West Central Service Cooperative (SWWC), which served 88 school districts.

From there, the rest of Swope’s career was about serving the students of Marshall.

Serving as principal for, at the time, East Side, West Side and Park Side Elementary schools from 1981-2008 and once more in 2012, Swope took pride in supporting his teachers to make sure students were feeling welcomed during their time at school.

“I always told my teachers … ‘Every parent sends us their very best. So, stop and think about that,'” Swope said. “‘You help them be successful’ … The other thing I said to my teachers is, ‘You greet every child every day, and you say goodbye to them every day.'”

Swope also served as a part-time principal in Hendricks, Minn., from 2009-10, before he swore into the Executive Director position for Marshall’s Pride in the Tiger Foundation.

The foundation helps to financially support students, programs and teacher’s classrooms for Kindergarten-12 Marshall public and private schools.

“Another thing I initiated was what I called ‘family circle.’ I said (to the teachers), ‘I’m suggesting, you can do it if you wish, that you take a half hour, one day a week, and have a family circle and have kids share about themselves or anything that they need,'” Swope said. “That builds caring among the kids for each other. That was another piece that I felt good about.”

From 2016 to present day, Swope has served on the school board, where he’s been a part of policy revision, honoring students publicly, and overall managed education in the community alongside other members.

Swope also did a few stints as an adjunct professor at Minnesota State University Mankato during the summers around 1992-94, where he taught Elementary School Principalship and Elementary School Organization.

“The one thing I miss the most, is my own classroom of kids,” Swope said. “I love teaching. I think my most favorite part is interacting with kids, and seeing kids’ successes.”

Although the work is done, Swope will oftentimes cross paths with former students.

“I’ve had kids since ’81, so I’ll go into Hy-Vee or Walmart, and these adult kids, 50 years old now, they’ll come up to me and say, ‘Mr. Swope, do you still remember me?’ Most of the time I do,” Swope said.

Swope used to show the kids while he was principal a hand trick, which still plays as a prominent impression when he runs into his former students. He would tuck his pointer finger in toward the palm of his hand, making it seem like his finger disappeared.

“Most of them say, ‘Show us your finger trick, Mr. Swope.’ When I used to go into the kindergarten classrooms at the beginning of the year, I would say, ‘Kids, kindergarten is magic. You are going to just love kindergarten,'” Swope said. “I said to them, ‘Let me show you a part of magic. I can take my finger apart.'”

As Swope will now have more free time to reflect on the journey he’s had filled with celebrations, challenges, successes and watching thousands of students become themselves, he retires knowing the districts he served are in good hands.

“I was so blessed to be in a career that I love,” Swope said, teary eyed. “It’s been a gift.”