When
you are misbehaving, she will let you know.
When she calls, you come. But Karen Williams has a heart of gold.
The parent-professional in Valerie Fuller’s second-grade classroom at
Thirkell Elementary loves – and is loved by – all the neighborhood kids.
Williams,
a mother of three, first became involved at Thirkell when her eldest child was
just three and entering preschool. Sixteen
years later, her youngest child has just “graduated” from Thirkell will be
attending middle school. However,
Williams says she has every intention of remaining where she is.
“I'm
too attached to the kids to leave… just to see what they become and knowing
that I had a little to do with it,” she says.
“The kids – period – is why I stay.”
In the classroom, Williams does her best to assist Mrs. Fuller. She helps coordinate many tasks, but she says she best enjoys teaching art to the students.
"I love doing arts and
crafts. I like to make things with
the children."
Although Williams has worked as
a volunteer in her children’s school since they were little, she encourages
all parents to become involved on some level.
“Parent involvement is very
important,” she says. “Without
the parents, the kids are lost. The
kids need the parents to come in and see what the kids are doing.”
A
Ferry Park native, Williams has certainly seen the ups and downs of her
neighborhood. But she says she believes that Thirkell has had nothing but a
positive influence on neighborhood youth.
“I
feel the school is having a positive effect.
It's not where you’re at, but all about
For all that Thirkell does
right, though, Williams feels certain measures could be implemented to improve
the school. In addition to
providing better lunches, she sees the need for Thirkell to expose students to
more African-American role models.
“We need to take the kids to
see some positive black people at work,” Williams explains. “If they see it, it could influence them.
Famous people need to come back to the neighborhood where they
started.”
Williams
hasn’t garnered international fame, but she certainly is doing her part to give
back.
“The are the kids in my community, and I want to help the kids in my neighborhood.”