Student Contributor Sophie Boyatt ('26), in Conversation with English Teacher Ellie Wills

Teachers are the single handedly most important factor for the evolution of the world. They make it possible for people to learn and to grow in their own existence. If teachers didn’t exist, an educated world wouldn’t either. A teacher’s job is to teach what they know to people who lack their knowledge. This, however, is so much more than simply educating the ignorant. A teacher gives the students knowledge but also a love for learning. As a student myself, I find that a teacher who truly loves his or her job is not only teaching what they know, but also what they love. A teacher at St. Agnes Upper School who embodies what it means to love what they teach is the Freshman English teacher and Lead Sponsor, Mrs. Ellie Wills.

I had the privilege of having Mrs. Wills as my teacher for my first two years of high school. My favorite subject is English, so I knew I would love her class. Mrs. Wills is also the Freshman Lead Sponsor which is someone who helpsnavigate the Freshmen and the progress of their year. When asked what she loves most about being the lead sponsor for the Freshmen, she finds that she is someone who the girls can “fall back on,” especially with it being their first year of high school. Mrs. Wills also loves to see the “enthusiasm” and how “contagious" the girls are with their excitement. Freshman year is arguably the hardest year of high school because it can be overwhelming. Mrs. Wills loves that she is able to help the girls thrive in their new environment and ease the anxiety surrounding high school.

My next question for Mrs. Wills was if she had any Mardi Gras traditions while growing up in Louisiana. Althoughit’s been a few years since living in New Orleans, her family didn’t shy away from traditions. They would wake up at five in the morning and gather in a parking lot to watch the parades. On this special day, families would dress in flamboyant costumes to declare their excitement. After the parade, they would eat at Clover Grill on Bourbon Street which gave them enough time to be home by 10 o’clock. Mrs. Wills says that Fat Tuesdays are the “hardest” because she is “away from home” and is unable to participate in this beautiful tradition she shared with her family. Despite this, however, she continues to cherish the many memories she made.

The majority of people despise the thought of writing a paper, but this isn’t the case for Mrs. Wills; writing in general gave her a sense of creativity. I asked her what made her become an English teacher. As a junior at Rhodes College, she realized that “life was creeping up fast” and she wasn’t sure what she wanted to do. The thought of graduate school scared her, and she was stuck with what to put on this new blank page she found herself on. Mrs. Wills graduated Rhodes, went back to New Orleans, and got her master’s degree because she knew she always wanted upper-level education. She went on to get her teaching license and this is what began her career in education. Mrs. Wills shared with me that she was never the “perfect student in English class” in college, and because of this, she was given a unique way of being able to teach her students.

Before college, Mrs. Wills was a high school student at one of the two biggest high schools in New Orleans. She and her sister “felt at home being in this high school” which was very similar to St. Agnes. Her high school was an all-girls Dominican high school, so the pillars really spoke to her and she valued them. Her experience in high school was extremely meaningful; the all-girls community was very “supportive and uplifting” and she said she remains grateful for going to a high school like this.

Every student has at least one favorite extracurricular activity. For Mrs. Wills, student council was her niche. Her older sister participated so it felt natural to her. She ran for numerous elections and lost some, but she ultimately won Vice President at her school. These wins and losses gave her the ability to “find her people.” She was so impacted by this that she wrote her college essay about becoming Vice President of her school.

A welcoming environment is important for both the students and teacher to thrive in. I wholeheartedly believe that St. Agnes does just that. Mrs. Wills’ career in education first began in New Orleans where she taught at a public school. After this, however, she wanted to come back to Memphis to get a “feel” for different schools. She got a job teaching eighth grade at a charter school. The kids she taught were extremely challenged and the experience itself was difficult. She found out about St. Agnes, which she knew was similar to her high school. Mrs. Wills said if she hadn’t gotten the job at St. Agnes, she was going to “take a break from teaching.” This, of course, was not something she wanted to do, so she prayed every night for the job.

Teaching at the charter school really “beat her down”, but she knew “God made her to be a teacher.” When she finally received the job at St. Agnes, she knew that it would be the perfect school for her, and she has loved every minute of it!

Now for a fun fact-the weather is something that has always fascinated Mrs. Wills. Growing up in New Orleans, she experienced Hurricane Katrina as a high school student. As traumatizing as it was, her interest in the weather began at that moment. She loves the “science behind the weather.” Despite being an English teacher, she also loves science. Her brother taught her all there is to know about weather. At St. Agnes, she is the lead sponsor for the Weather Club. In this club, she teaches anything from the creation of snow to how clouds form in the sky. Her knowledge about the weather is not only remarkable, but it also allows her to connect with her students on a personal level, outside of the English classroom.

My final question for Mrs. Wills was, in my opinion, the most important one. Every English teacher has at least one favorite book, whether that is to read or to teach. She shared with me that her favorite book to teach her students is the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. She believes that it is important for Freshmen to read it because it is “very relevant and displays a really good lesson about life.” Oftentimes, students “avoid reality” and this book reveals this notion to its readers. As someone who read this book as a freshman, I can confidently say that this book achieves this goal of relevancy; I really enjoyed it because of how pertinent it is to this generation. Mrs. Wills also shared with me that her favorite book to read is My Antonia by Willa Cather. She says it makes her feel “so peaceful” and the words are so “beautiful and descriptive.” This book is extremely “personal” to her, which is why she would not want to teach it to her students. 

Mrs. Wills was not just my English teacher-she taught me so much about writing and where I could improve. English itself has made such a defining impact on my life, and I owe so much of it to Mrs. Wills!