By Ava Swinton ‘27
Mr. Aaron Swinton leads with purpose shaped by his past childhood experiences. As a middle school principal, he prioritizes relationships, making it a point to connect and build bonds with students and staff, knowing that if you have trusted adults, you can make a lasting difference in students’ lives.
When discussing his career path, Swinton described how his original goals looked very different from where he ultimately ended up, later influencing him to work with students.
“Education is not what I wanted to do,” said Swinton. “I thought that being that I did not have a father figure in my life, that I can work in education and be there for kids that were just like me.”
Now serving as a middle school principal, Swinton embraces the hectic environment of his school, while maintaining a positive outlook on his role.
“I enjoy the craziness,” Swinton said. “I think it takes a crazy person to work in a middle school.”
Swinton believes relationships are the foundations of a successful school and that can’t happen without trust among students and staff.
“We’re not going to get anything done unless we have relationships,” Swinton said.
Because every student enters the building with different needs and experiences, he emphasizes the flexibility in education rather than the one-size-fits-all route.
“We have to really work on not making it a one size fits all education,” he said.
Leading the school with students from many cultural backgrounds has strengthened Swinton’s belief in respect.
“I think we’re a melting pot. We have so many different nationalities,” said Swinton. “We have students from several places. We have students from Iran, we have students from Africa, we have students from Nepal, we have students from everywhere.”
With that diversity, Swinton believes respect is key to building trust and creating a positive school environment.
“Even though they have different stories, I have to treat them with respect so that they, in return, can trust me as a building leader,” he said.
Although he holds the role of being a building leader, Swinton stresses that collaboration among the staff is the power to success.
“Although I’m the building leader, it means nothing if we’re not all working in unison for the same goal,” Swinton stated.
When reflecting on the professions, Swinton offers his honest advice to those who are considering a career in education.
“Be careful. Really consider if there’s something you want to do, it could be a tough job. It could be a job that sometimes you can feel undervalued… but it could be rewarding.”
Like Martin Luther King Jr., who championed human connection and love, Mr. Aaron Swinton leads with a heart, creating a community that ensures every student feels loved, respected, and valued.