The ‘One Constant’ Says Goodbye to Academy

Story by Angela Peach

For the last 28 years, Spring Valley Academy (SVA) has had one constant: Vicki Swetnam.

After 11 years of working as the administrative assistant for the Education Department at the Ohio Conference office—then located in Mount Vernon, Ohio—Swetnam and her family moved to the Dayton area. She began her tenure at SVA as the administrative assistant to then-Principal JD Mutchler in 1996.

From the very start, Swetnam went far beyond what her job description asked of her. Over the years, her role expanded to include recruitment and marketing, as she served as the face of SVA for new and prospective families, welcoming them to campus, answering questions and giving her famous hugs.

Swetnam also became the coach and sponsor of SVA’s cheerleading team. As a result of her years on her own high school cheerleading squad, her overwhelming enthusiasm and notoriously strong cheering voice made her the perfect person to motivate and lead this new sport on campus.

She also took on the graduate wall composites as a special project. Swetnam taught herself calligraphy and, for the last 28 years, has given this longstanding SVA tradition beauty and uniformity. It is in those wall composites of 28 years of graduates that one can see a visual reminder of the impact a caring and dedicated person can have on a place.

Her vision and understanding of campus tradition and history helped to ground SVA through almost three decades of change and growth. As the school’s enrollment has increased exponentially these last few years, it was the knowledge of faculty and staff like Swetnam that held the campus steady to the strengths of its foundation. Growth has happened, and SVA has remained true to the mission on which it was founded—a mission that continues to guide them.

Swetnam has served in her role for six different principals and, in that time, met hundreds, if not thousands of students and prospective students and families. She has planted flowers, taken minutes, led tours, welcomed visitors, planned events, managed constituency meetings, updated calendars, smiled, laughed, cried and prayed with and for the students, faculty and staff! She turned a job into a true vocation. It’s rare to find a person who will throw their hearts into their work the way Swetnam did.

While SVA will miss her next year, the school wishes her a retirement filled with the things most important to her: time spent with her husband, Rick, her cherished family, and her beautiful garden. She has certainly earned it after 28 years of God-led service to this academy.

SVA is better for knowing her, learning from her and watching her walk with God. Thank you!