Louise Williams was awarded the advisor’s Horizon Award for involvement if a new advisor in regional and international programs with her involvement in PTK in 1993 at Fergus Falls Community College.
Louise Williams was awarded the advisor’s Horizon Award for involvement if a new advisor in regional and international programs with her involvement in PTK in 1993 at Fergus Falls Community College.
From the time she was in third grade, former M State instructor Louise Williams (formerly Pugh) knew she wanted to be a teacher. In pursuit of that dream, the Jamestown High School graduate went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in mathematics at North Dakota State University. Williams taught high school mathematics for three years before returning to NDSU to earn a master’s degree in Mathematics Education.
After teaching in New York and New Mexico for several years, Williams returned to the Midwest and began teaching junior high math at Fergus Falls High School. Williams also directed a Second Chance Program for high school dropouts for the public school system in Jamestown and spent eight years teaching at the University of Jamestown before joining the faculty at Fergus Falls Community College in 1988.
Williams took on many different roles while working at the community college, from mathematics instructor to an advisor for the Phi Theta Kappa chapter – one of her favorite extracurricular activities. She also served on many faculty and search committees and as faculty association president. However, Williams says one of the most inspiring parts of her work was serving as a mentor for the Postsecondary Enrollment Options program. As a mentor, she observed high school students as they learned college-level mathematics.
“Many times, these students were highly motivated and planned to continue a STEM career. I also found the technology was ahead of what we had on campus at the time, so it was a learning and sharing opportunity for instructors on both sides.”
That experience proved to be even more valuable when the community college began offering online courses to students. As web-based learning got underway, Williams was one of the first instructors asked to teach online. “I taught many ITV courses, mostly with Detroit Lakes and Wadena,” she recalls. “I also ‘exchanged’ and taught one semester at Normandale Community College.”
A Rich & Satisfying Career
Williams retired from teaching in 2007, although she continued her work with the PSEO program for four more years. So much of her career was gratifying, but looking back, Williams says there’s one thing that stood out more than anything else.
“What I enjoyed best about working at the college was always in the classroom, when I could explain a concept in such a way that it ‘clicked’ for a student,” she explains. “Traveling with students to PTK conventions, attending state and national mathematics conferences, presenting workshops and team-teaching were all enrichment to my career, but nothing topped actual classroom teaching.”
Williams’s dedication and passion certainly left a lasting mark on her students and fellow faculty, so much so that Williams was given the honor of being named Outstanding Faculty Member twice during her career – first by students at University of Jamestown and again by the faculty at Fergus Falls Community College.
Today, Williams lives in Jamestown but enjoys traveling and spending winters at her beach cottage in South Carolina – and flexing her math muscles. “I’m happy to report I get calculus questions from my grandsons in college and I can still help them,” she notes.
Want to help support M State Fergus Falls? Visit Fergus Area College Foundation’s website to learn about becoming a donor and assisting students through scholarships and endowments or reach out to Lori Larson, FACF executive director for more details at 218-736-1514 or facf@minnesota.edu.
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