Enid Williams started college with the goal of earning a degree in early childhood education. It seemed a natural choice for someone who loved working with children. She began hearing discouraging comments from some around her about teachers’ salaries, however, and switched to studying marketing. She earned a degree in that field and enjoyed professional success as an office supplies re-buyer.
Today, however, Williams finds herself drawn back to what she describes as her “first love.” She teaches all the major subjects plus choir to the fifth- through eighth-grade students at Chicago Seventh-day Adventist School. “Here I am, doing what I started 30 years ago,” Williams observes. Williams says her desire to impart love, wisdom and encouragement to young people led her back into teaching.
Williams, who became a Seventh-day Adventist in adulthood, says that getting to know her students and their families has enabled her to help them both inside and outside of the classroom. She remembers encountering a grandmother who was sacrificing everything she had to provide Christian education for her grandchildren. Williams and her husband, who was a gym teacher, decided to partner with this family by providing transportation for the children to and from school. The families have stayed in touch over the years, and it has been very inspiring for Williams to see these young people overcome obstacles and become successful. “It is a privilege to show the love of Jesus to students and to live it before them and to be a part of their nurturing. You don’t always see the results immediately, but sometimes, years later, you can see the fruits of your labor,” Williams says.
