RINCON — As the sun of education sets on a local woman’s lengthy career, it is dawning for her daughter.

Marcy Welch, who is retiring after 30-plus years, started teaching first grade at Rincon Elementary School in 1990. She chose a career in education because she “liked writing on the board, checking papers and I just always liked kids,” Welch said.

Molly, Marcy’s daughter, developed the same passions at a young age.

“I spent more hours at school than I spent at my personal home,” she said. “I was always playing school. I would create my own class rosters and I would ask for overhead projectors.”

Molly credits her mom with influencing her career path. The close-knit community her mom has with co-workers is partially responsible for it, too.

“They all were my second family,” Molly said. “So, growing up around that, I was inspired by not just my mom but her friends that she worked with, and knew that one day I wanted to be them. And I wanted to have what my mom had.”

Molly discovered her teaching home at Marlow Elementary School. She started in January at the kindergarten level.

“I just wanted that family feel, and while student teaching at Marlow, I found that,” Molly said.

In August, Molly will start teaching fourth grade. She said she doesn’t want to follow in her mom’s footsteps and teach first grade.

“I prefer the older kids,” she said. “I loved the other kids. I just think that everyone has their age group.”

Molly, however, does use some of her mother’s classroom tactics. One thing in particular she learned from her is greeting her students every morning.

“I greeted my kids every morning in some type of way whether it be a high five or a hug,” Molly said. “I always greet my kids by their first name and they have to say 'good morning' to me.”

Marcy started the morning ritual as a way to get to know her students.

“It's just the way you do things,” Marcy said. “You know, you can't really make a difference in somebody's life in any way, you know, big or small, if you don't know them.”

Marcy said that retirement hasn’t quite hit yet because of summer vacation.

“The roles are reversed,” Molly said. “She'll be able to come in and watch me and volunteer in my classroom and get to see what I saw from a young age.”

Marcy is confident that she is leaving Effingham County children in good hands.

“Effingham County really does have the best educators, and that’s not according to any CC RPI score or anything — that’s just on basic human principals,” she said. “They’re just very caring and thoughtful, and Effingham County is full of them.”

Marcy has no doubt that her daughter’s students will thrive.

“She’s a way better teacher than I ever was,” she said. “She’s way better. Yeah, she is. She’s very very good.”