One look at the smile on her face and gleam in her eye and you know instantly that Liz Young, CES Librarian for the last five years, loves being an educator and cherishes the students she serves.
When, during college, Liz found herself substitute teaching and enjoying it, she cast aside her original goal of becoming an accountant. Later, spending time as a staff member at Camp Bratton-Green’s Special Sessions for campers with mental and/or physical disabilities, she refined her career goal even further with the knowledge that her true passion lies in teaching small groups. Today, she looks back on her entire career and recognizes that, having the heart of a servant, education was exactly the right choice for her.
A native of New Orleans, Liz received her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with an emphasis in Remedial Reading K-12 from the University of Southern Mississippi Long Beach and went on to earn her master’s degree in Gifted Education from William Carey University in Hattiesburg. She went on to spend 20 years as an educator for Harrison County Schools, most of which teaching gifted students in grades second to seventh.
Shortly after retiring from public school, Liz learned that CES was looking for a librarian. At the time, Liz’s daughter, Melissa Brown, was on staff and two of her grandchildren were CES students.
“My family encouraged me to come to Coast, “ grins Liz, “Who could pass up the opportunity to work three days a week alongside my daughter and at the place where my grandchildren were going to school?”
Liz’s final day at CES will be Thursday, December 16, 2021, when she will once again join the ranks of the retired, of which her husband, Mark, is a current “member.” Liz and Mark are looking forward to individual hobbies: Liz is an avid gardener and Mark is a “foodie”, a wood and metal worker. “He can do just about anything,” says Liz proudly, and, together, they plan to spend time traveling to spend more time with their adult children (two daughters and a son) and grandchildren.
It’s clear when speaking with Liz that leaving CES is not easy for her, and she will be missed by students and faculty alike. Still, when reminiscing about her years as a professional educator, it is clear that her five years at Coast Episcopal School have provided the perfect ending to her career. Liz is proud of her years in the public school system; yet she echoes the sentiments of so many educators that the focus on standardized test scores has minimized the amount of time teachers can devote to interacting with students individually.
At CES, Liz has been able to spend her final years in education focusing on students, not scores. She knows the names of each child who flocks to “her” library. “CES students love to read,” says Liz proudly. “They come to me often with requests for a particular book, and, if it’s not in our library, they know I’ll order it for them. Then, they come back every day to ask me if “their” book has come in yet.”
Liz acknowledges, now that she has experienced both public and independent schools, that the uniqueness of CES renders it incomparable to public school. She adds that what she is taking away from her combined experience with both is, “Every student deserves a great teacher.”
Nancy Hill, a retired teacher who has been substituting at CES this year, will be stepping into Liz’s role when the students return to class on January 3, 2022. And, while Liz is looking forward to the experiences that her CES retirement will bring, she also is quick to mention, “and, I’ll only be a few minutes away.” One might interpret that to mean, CES students, staff and faculty can expect to see Liz’s smiling face in its hallowed hallways despite her “official” departure this month.
