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Linda Williams began her career in education in 1972 and is still going strong, currently working as an English teacher at Lowndes Academy. 

According to Williams, she was born into the profession and never had any inclination to pursue any other career besides teaching.

“My mother was a teacher,” Williams said. “She loved literature and was an English major and that’s what I grew up hearing about and knowing about so I never saw myself as being anything but a teacher. It just fell into place naturally.”

Williams said a big part of what has kept her in the profession so long is her genuine love for being around children.

“I just love being around kids,” Williams said. “They can be exasperating and they can drive you nuts, but they’re always full of life and always have something interesting to say. It’s something new every day.”

Lowndes Academy Headmaster Barry Mohun sang praise to Williams’ ability to perform in school both as a teacher and a coworker, stating that Williams is a joy to work with and an excellent classroom leader.

“I’ve been doing this for over 30 years myself and she’s the best I’ve ever been around as far as classroom management and commanding and controlling her classroom,” Mohun said. “She’s excellent at teaching her subject and as a coworker she works really well with everybody.”

Mohun also acknowledged that students sometimes take for granted the wealth of knowledge that is present in Williams’ classroom until they’ve moved on to new life ventures.

“The biggest thing about her [Williams] is that people may not appreciate her and what a great job she did preparing them until they leave school,” Mohun said. “The ones that go on to college, a lot of times they get to test out of their basic English classes, and most of that is because of her and the preparation they got through her.”

Williams expressed a deep love for her students and agreed with Mohun, citing her favorite part of being a teacher as seeing her students grow and come back to say that they wish they had listened to her more, and to thank her for helping them along their journey through school.

While Williams holds a deep appreciation for the nitty gritty and day-to-day of being a teacher, she beamed as she discussed what happens at the end of each school year- graduation.

“Every year at graduation I see those people going out into the world,” Williams said. “I’ve seen the struggles and successes they’ve had. I cry and I laugh with them, and that’s what the joy truly is in this- seeing them take the next step.”