TOOELE — After 18 years in the classroom, Betsy Swynenburg, Tooele District Teacher of the Year, is headed for administration. She had spent nearly two decades at Dugway High School coaching and teaching science, and this fall she is an administrative intern at Grantsville High.

"I love the kids, and I think in working with kids, you never grow old," she said. "They never fail to entertain you or impress you in some way."

Michael Spendlove, a fellow educator at Dugway, said one of Swynenburg's strengths that set her apart was her ability to make students recognize that they are the most important part of the school — that the students are a community of learners, not just in her class but in their school experience as a whole.

Spendlove said she could relate to all of the students, because she engaged in the student activities herself.

If she wasn't coaching volleyball, girls basketball, cross country and track during her years at Dugway she was running the clock, keeping stats, scheduling buses, taking money at the gate or scheduling officials, Spendlove said.

She also helped with proms, graduations, back-to-school nights, Sterling Scholars, homecoming events and band concerts.

"One would be hard-pressed to attend any DHS function and not find Betsy working openly or behind the scene in some fashion," Spendlove said.

When Swynenburg left Dugway last spring, some students spent a few days trying to convince her to stay.

"I can think of no better sign of respect or admiration toward a mentor of children," Spendlove said.