Erica Williams’ life has been a testament to defying the odds. Growing up in north St. Louis as one of 10 children, she endured hardship, including the death of two siblings, one to gun violence.
She was determined to rise above those challenges and saw education as the path forward. That determination carried her into the classroom, where she now shows students that their ZIP code does not define their future.
“My skin looks like them. My dialect — I sound like them as well. But I also foster a sense of hope,” she said.
Williams, now assistant school leader at Momentum Academy in Tower Grove, is being recognized for her deep commitment to children. She is one of five Excellence in Education honorees who will be celebrated at the Salute to Excellence in Education Gala, sponsored by the St. Louis American Foundation, on Nov. 1.
Her dream of becoming an educator began on the steps of her grandmother’s home in Walnut Park. At age 5, she fell in love with teaching while playing school with her cousins. It was there she also first played the role of an administrator, acting as the family’s school principal in their childhood game.
As the aspiring educator grew older, school became tougher than expected after her father pulled her out of Normandy High School. Her move to Gateway Christian High, a private school, proved to be an academic culture shock.
“I went from an A-B student to a C-D student at Gateway Christian,” Williams said. “So, I had no choice but to be engulfed in education. My dad promoted school, and my mom taught us survival.”
Williams’ determination paid off. Her fight to rise above failure led her to receive degrees from St. Louis Community College, Central Methodist University and the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
Colleagues say what sets her apart is the attention and care she gives to children who have a troubled home life and struggle in school. Momentum Academy school leader Christian Jude said Williams inspires staff and students “to not let anything be a barrier but to use that as a launchpad to be successful.”
Williams was inspired to go into education by her son, who learned differently than other kids and was suspected by his kindergarten teacher of having a developmental delay. Her son had no learning disabilities, but Williams was motivated to better understand children who do. She began taking early education classes, advancing in her studies as her son advanced in his.
While Williams was a teacher at KIPP St. Louis, her then-school leader, Justin Schulze, assigned her to a classroom of students with low grades and poor behavior. Looking back, Schulze said she transformed the class so quickly that it seemed like magic.
“She just brings a certain type of energy that makes kids want to pay attention to what she is saying and doing,” Schulze said. “Twenty years from now, those kids will look back and say, ‘Ms. Williams made me feel seen and heard.’”
At Momentum Academy, Executive Director Liz Valerio said Williams “walks with that aura” of seriousness about educating students. “I respect that so much,” Valerio said.
As Williams prepares to accept her Salute to Excellence award next month, she carries the memory of two loved ones who left too soon: a brother murdered in Walnut Park in 2018 and a sister who died of AIDS when Williams was 19.
“My sister and brother will be cheering me on. My brother would say, ‘I knew it,’” she said.
Jude, who also grew up in north St. Louis, sees Williams’ recognition as proof of what’s possible. “It shows you don’t have to move away to make an impact,” he said. “We can still help St. Louis babies become awesome people and to do awesome things in this world.”
Williams hopes her students will carry that same lesson — that anything is possible — as her legacy.
“They just have to believe in themselves,” Williams said. “If I was able to obtain it, there is no doubt in my mind others can.”
The St. Louis American Foundation’s 38th Annual Salute to Excellence in Education will take place on Saturday, November 1st at America’s Center in downtown. For tickets or more information, visit www.stlamerican.com.