Question on として in this sentence


もっと早くゲスト先生として迎えたかったのですが、なかなか長い時間がかかってしまってごめんなさい。

Translating to: = I wanted to have you as guest teachers earlier but I am
sorry that it took a longer time than I had expected.

What exactly is the function, I have learned the volitional + とする means to
attempt....but this is a noun




This として is not "the volitional + とする" but means "as" such as "He came to my
school as an English teacher(彼は、私の学校に英語教師として来た。".

