Edgar Waters lights up the hallways of A.C. Reynolds High School with love and positivity, giving both staff and students extra fuel for their “Rocket Pride.”
The 83-year-old part time custodian starts every day visiting the front office and classrooms around the school, giving fist bumps and sharing his call-and-response catchphrase: “Another God-given new day to be in Rocket…” with the answer, “Country.”
“I’m blessed to come every morning and speak to teachers and kids, just loving on them,” Waters said. “You never know what a person may be going through. If I can say something to lift them up, that’s what it’s all about.”
Waters gave decades of service to Buncombe County Schools as both a custodian and a bus driver. He officially retired in 2004 but returned because, as he puts it, he “just can’t sit around at home.” He loves the school community too much to stay away. A lifelong encourager, Waters sees his role as more than keeping the school clean. He takes time each day to offer encouragement and provide a listening ear. His legacy stretches across generations. Many current students are children of those he once drove to school.
Reynolds High teaching assistant Amber Albritton said Waters used to talk to her when she got in trouble at school as a teenager. Now in her role as in-school suspension supervisor, she models his positive outlook as she encourages students to build better character.
“He really made an impact in my life, and my kids’ lives, too,” she said. “The school wouldn’t be the same without him.”
Waters grew up on an apple orchard in Edneyville with six brothers and three sisters. They still reminisce about their parents’ loving relationship and the work ethic they learned from the farm.
“They’re all retired, and they all have part time jobs,” he said with a chuckle. “Daddy worked til he was 89, and he never complained. Our parents told us to stay busy to stay healthy. And they also told us to love everybody.”
Waters sees his work as a way to express that love for the school and its people. When he drove a school bus, he mopped it and waxed the floors to the point that a teacher once joked, “you could fry an egg on the floor.”
“A girl asked me why I keep the bus so clean, and I said ‘your mom and dad work and pay taxes for this bus that I’m driving, and I’m accountable for it,’” he said. “‘I’m here to pick you up safe, get you to school safe, get you back home safe, and take care of this bus.’”
Waters’ dedication and positivity have earned him enduring respect from everyone at the school.
“If you’re having a stressful morning, he just lifts you up,” said assistant principal Steve McCurry. “He never grumbles or complains, he just gets it done. He’s truly an amazing role model for both staff and students.”
On this National Custodian Appreciation Day, we are thankful for Mr. Waters and all of the BCS custodians who take care of our students and staff every day.