By: Vic Burch and Jada Fowler

Here at OM, we’ve gained some strong teachers this year. Among them is Ms. Williams, but not only is she new to Oakland Mills, this is also her first official year as a teacher!

Ms. Williams graduated from Reservoir High School in 2016 alongside her current colleague and friend, Mr. Loyola, one of the new history teachers here. She attended both Howard Community College and Towson University. When asked what she could bring to OM, she responded, “Representation… in age, culture, and identity.” Being that she is one of the youngest teachers here at Oakland Mills, is a person of color, and is part of the LGBTQ+ community, she wants to be someone that her students can see themselves in and as someone they can trust. “I want to create a very welcoming space where my students feel safe and protected and that they can trust me,” Williams stated.

In her classroom, she’s student focused. When asked what her biggest strength was as a teacher, she stated, “Making connections and genuine relationships with students.” She feels she can connect to her students since they are part of the same generation, generation Z. When asked what inspired her to become a teacher, Ms. Williams explained, “So, I like to say, that the big influence was all of the awful teachers that I had.” She went on to say, “They weren’t culturally responsive.” Perhaps in order to be culturally responsive and able to connect to her students, she has decided to become the advisor for GSA (Gender and Sexuality Alliance). While appreciative of allies, Williams also said “Students apart of GSA need that first hand experience of a teacher that actually knows what’s going on in the community.”

Though Ms. Williams is a new teacher, she seems to know exactly what she wants to do and how she wants to fit in here. Oakland Mills was the school she knew she wanted to teach at, stating, “If I could get into any school in Howard County, Oakland Mills is where I wanted to be.” When asked how she felt about OM, she said, “I love Oakland Mills, I really do.”

If you want to get to know more about Ms. Williams, make sure to follow her on TikTok @elamswilliams, and stop by room 208 to join the fun!