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ALUMNUS OF NOTE
Mathieu Williams 2012 graduate named Hawaii Teacher of the Year By Charles Scott Riseley ’12
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Williams, who graduated from WWU in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in business and a minor in web design, says, “This experience will give me a chance to widen my perspective and get a deeper understanding of how best to improve access to quality education for all kids.” The National Teacher of the Year Program recognizes excellence in teaching that prepares students in the public education system for college, career, and life. The program provides opportunities for selected teachers to attend training and leadership events and to engage in national discussion about educational policies. Teachers selected also have the opportunity to meet with the president of the United States. Williams was born and raised on Kauai, Hawaii, and moved to Bellingham, Washington, at age 12. He returned to the islands in 2012 after graduating from WWU. “I really wanted a reason to come back to Hawaii,” he says, and through an opportunity with Teach for America, he became a special education teacher at Kealakehe Intermediate School on Hawaii Island. “Where I teach is pretty rural. These awards usually go to larger communities. It’s been a long time since a neighbor island outside of Oahu has won.” Creating a sense of community among his students is one of Williams’ goals. “As a teacher I try to create a strong sense of belonging. Belonging to yourself as a person, as a part of the classroom, and belonging as a part of the larger community,” Williams says. “I love seeing students take what they learn in class and apply it out in the community. I’m a journalism and digital media
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Westwind Spring 2019
teacher, so we do a lot of storytelling. We just finished a promotional for a nonprofit, and in order to do that, the kids went out to collect footage and understand the historical and cultural significance of the area through interviews. “My teaching philosophy has always evolved,” Williams continues, “but I think that chasing your best self has always been a cornerstone.” Williams sums up his philosophy in three sentences: “Do what you love. Be curious. Remember that relationships are everything. “My mission is to develop within students the ability to lead from every chair, challenge limits, and work from the heart. We all have the ability to lead and to help each other,” he says. “Those skills are especially important in middle school. It’s a real-life mission field—getting kids to take the higher road and to be social change agents. They are going to be future leaders, changing the world, and that really fires me up.” Williams looks back on his time at WWU fondly. “I appreciated going to a small community university. Strong Christian values have been a cornerstone of who I am as a teacher and a person, and I attribute those
back to WWU,” he says. While at WWU, Williams learned how to take those values and “individualize them for everyone—to create access points for anyone to enter and be curious.” Williams is also very thankful for the many mentors he had at WWU: “My business advisor, Bruce Toews, professor of business, was a great support. I appreciated the care and time he took to give thoughtlife and academic advice. Jodi Wagner, vice president for University Relations and Advancement, was also a great support and gave me life tips about how to be a leader. And the recurring phrase, ‘the slow way is the fast way,’ from Kraig Scott, professor of music, while guiding my approach to new music and playing the organ has become a life principle and mindset.” Now that Williams is a teacher himself, he encourages his students to “turn the lens around” and focus on things other than themselves. He applies this principle to his own life and says many experiences have led to being named Teacher of the Year. “So many things have helped me make it this far, like WWU and my mentors there, and being involved in ASWWU. It’s always a bigger narrative than just yourself.”
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PHOTO: DAYLE YOKOYAMA
lumnus Mathieu Williams has been named Hawaii’s 2019 Teacher of the Year. “I’m excited as I enter into this experience,” says Williams. “This award is more than just about me. It’s about the hard work of my students and their commitment to excellence.”
