Students at a Dallas elementary school are learning essential life lessons; however, these specific lessons are not coming from their educators. Instead, they are being learned from the school's custodian.
Before the sun rises each weekday, custodian Miller Wilson is at Mockingbird Elementary School in Dallas getting everything shiny and clean for classes.
"When people come in, I want the building to look good," Wilson said with pride, quoting the school motto. "Once a star, always a star!"
When people arrive, Wilson hits another gear.
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"Y'all ready? Look at you," Wilson said as he prepared to take on kids in PE class in a game of 'Ankle Biter,' which involves running around the gym with foam noodles and trying to tag kids. It's not really in the official job description of a custodian.
"It's not, but I like to make the kids happy," Wilson said. "I like to be happy; I want them to be happy."
Fulfilling the joy of young students has become an integral part of his daily responsibilities, and it is not solely the younger ones who appreciate him.
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"I mean, he's great! I love him to death," Mockingbird Elementary School Principal Will Smyth said.
Even though Wilson isn't in a classroom, Smyth said he teaches students by example.
"When we all have that attitude of, 'How can we help each other?' then that's something the kids can learn besides just how to clean a building. That's not what he exemplifies," Smyth said. "He exemplifies pride in what he does. He exemplifies building relationships with everybody on campus."
"That's why I come to work every day. This job, it makes me happy. It's the first job I ever had that makes me happy when I come to work," Wilson said.
Mockingbird Elementary has a large population of students who communicate through sign language. They gave Wilson his own sign for his trademark braids.
"Thank you," Wilson said, signing back to the class. "Thank you, Mr. Miller," They signed back. Around school, Wilson is known as 'Mr. Miller.'
"They're just like my grandkids," Wilson said after 'low-fiving' his actual grandson in the hallways. "They love me ... it makes me feel like I'm important to the school, and it makes me feel real good, so I know when I leave here, I've done my job."
