LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska Capitol tour guide who shared the state’s history with nearly 500,000 students is retiring.

Gloria Witherspoon will step down from the Office of the Capitol Commission on Tuesday after more than 25 years on the job.

Witherspoon is a native of Clarksdale, Mississippi who made Nebraska her home. As a tour guide, she learned the state’s history better than some life-long residents.

Her tours for fourth graders included lessons about the building’s artwork and symbolism, its role in housing all three branches of government, and the state’s Native American and pioneer history.

Witherspoon became so well-known that teachers frequently requested her for their annual class field trips to Lincoln. Witherspoon says she will miss the young visitors, and stresses to them the importance of a good education.