August Hometown Mentor: Botetourt Co. teacher goes above and beyond

BUCHANAN, Va. (WDBJ) - Coronavirus has thrown a curve ball at school districts in all of our hometowns. But lucky for us, southwest Virginia is home to some of the best teachers around, including August’s Hometown Mentor.

Kitt Williams goes above and beyond for students of all ages year-round. She’s head of the special education department at James River High School, but she also teaches younger kids how to swim at pools in Botetourt County.

“What I love the best is seeing somebody soar,” Willams said. “Take that step by themselves realizing that wow I couldn’t do this before but now I really can do this.”

Over the years, Williams has helped a lot of students soar. One of the most recent success stories is Megan Hickok, who graduated from James River in 2020 in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic.

Megan has underlying health conditions, making her more vulnerable to the virus.

“I was already out half of the year for some major leg surgery, and then I come back, and corona hits,” Hickok said.

Hickok credits Mrs. Williams for helping her graduate.

“If I needed something I was able to call her, and she would answer no matter the time,” she said.

Despite not being able to have a traditional graduation because of coronavirus, Hickok still got her diploma, and had a special guest there to celebrate with her - Mrs. Williams.

“I might have just been there kind of on the sidelines and giving her a push here and there, but honestly I give the credit back to the students,” Williams said.

Williams also saw a need rise while making home-visits to students over the summer. With so many people out of work and having trouble putting food on the table, Williams decided to help in a new way. She and another teacher, Donna Cox, have delivered food and other goods to nine families, seven times this summer. Williams credits the community for stepping up an donating money to make it possible.

WDBJ7 is proud to recognize Kitt Williams as the Hometown Mentor for the month of August.

If you know a teacher, coach, or mentor going above and beyond, nominate them to be a Hometown Mentor by emailing Josh Birch at jbirch@wdbj7.com or clicking here.

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