Paying It Forward

Pecan Springs Early College Prep Elementary Principal Andrea Williams

Andrea Williams has been an educator for 25 years. Like other teachers and school administrators, there have been many days when she’s driven into and out of a school parking lot before dawn and after dusk.

For the past four years, she has parked in a space reserved for, “Principal,” at Pecan Springs Early College Prep Elementary. Pecan Springs is the original Andy Roddick Foundation Learn All the Time Kids partner school. In 2014, ARF welcomed 75 Pecan Springs kids to our very first summer camp.

While Ms. Williams has many favorite memories from her career, she cherishes the moments she can watch her students — who she calls scholars — learn, grow and thrive. She is especially proud of the progress her current scholars have made and continue to make to recover academically and emotionally from the pandemic. It’s been the biggest challenge of her career. And when you overcome the largest obstacle you’ve faced, how do you celebrate and recognize your students hard work? If you're Ms. Williams, you let them tape you and your assistant principal to the wall.

But like other great leaders, Ms. Williams is reluctant to take credit, and instead, praises her hardworking staff, students, families and partners for working together to move her school forward. Like her school’s partnership with ARF.

Ms. Williams believes it plays a major role in her students’ success. In addition to our nationally acclaimed summer camp, ARF also provides Ms. Williams’ students with afterschool activities, a spring break camp, family nights, and at-home activities for school breaks free of charge. Her students who participate improve their standardized tests scores and out perform their peers, have fewer disciplinary referrals, and find new ways to engage in learning, problem solving, and team building.

Over the years, Ms. Williams has never forgotten why she became an educator — to honor the teachers and administrators who influenced the direction of her life at a young age. And every early morning and late night she drives in and out of an empty and dark school lot, she still hopes to do the same for her students and fellow teachers on their journey.

She’s paying it forward.