The Williamson family, Trisha, Matt and John has created a legacy of learning .
by Shirley Lorraine
Educating the young is a passion for the John Williamson family. Their commitment to teaching has enriched the Ventura Unified School District in many ways. Meeting with Trisha and son Matt, it was clear their eyes shone brightly as they spoke of their teaching paths and of their family’s chosen profession. According to Matt “sometimes a career direction finds you, rather than the other way around.” That appears to be true of the Williamsons.
John spent many years as an administrator in private schools before he undertook securing his teaching credential. When he did, he was off and running. For the next ten years John served as a math teacher at ATLAS elementary school in Saticoy. This setting proved to be an excellent match, as his fourth and fifth graders enthusiastically attest.
Sadly, life rarely goes as planned. In November of 2018, John was given a cancer diagnosis. As John was treated and doing his best to overcome the disease, son Matt was asked to substitute in his father’s fifth grade math class. Matt was instantly dubbed Mr. 2.0, a role that he took on eagerly. He wanted, above all, to provide continuity for his father’s students during such a trying time. “I want to make a difference like dad. That is very important to me, to continue the legacy that he began.”
When John passed away in March of 2019, Matt vowed to return quickly to the classroom. “It’s all about the relationships” Matt declared. “Up until the last few days, dad still talked about the kids. They meant everything to him.” Indeed, the kids felt the same about John. While he was a home on hospice, the kids decorated his sidewalk with colorful chalk art and messages to buoy his spirits.
Trisha, having just celebrated her 31st year of teaching at Portola Elementary, found Matt’s willingness to step into John’s shoes inspiring. Along the way she and Matt both earned their master’s degree, albeit at different institutions.
Both teaching fifth grade this year, Trisha and Matt have experienced a sense of comfort in being able to share classroom resources, techniques and trials as they coped with John’s illness. They agreed that these similarities helped them considerably to redirect their thoughts and gave them both an opportunity to emotionally refocus, which they both sorely needed.
When asked what advice she would give to students desiring to become teachers, Trisha replied “you’ll have your plans and then you must expect those plans to be changed.” “Always be flexible” stated Matt. “It’s (teaching) one of the few professions in which you can reinvent yourself every school year” added Trisha.
The Williamson family has created a legacy of learning that enriches not only the students, but the school district and themselves. The Williamson motto seems to mirror Trisha’s statement “if you love it, do it.”
