Return of an Epic Field Trip

Twenty-five years ago, Dr. Kathy Williamson, a “new” teacher at the time, planned a day trip to William Faulkner’s home, Rowan Oak, in Oxford, Mississippi, as her AP Literature classes read Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury. Having studied Faulkner and Southern literature while pursuing her Ph.D. in English from the University of Mississippi, she was particularly passionate about giving her students this experience-bringing Faulkner and a bit of Southern history to life.

This adventure to Rowan Oak continued each year until, like many other educational experiences, it was temporarily put on hold due to the pandemic. Last Friday was a beautiful fall day to bring back this Upper School tradition! The trip is now the culmination of our seniors’ short story unit on the American South.

“We read numerous stories from the most famous Southern writers and talk about themes--such as race, class, and gender--that are relevant to our region,” explained Dr. Williamson. “Students also learn the literary terms and concepts they need for the AP Literature exam. The last story we read is Faulkner's A Rose for Emily. The purpose of the trip to Rowan Oak, is to give students the historical and literary context for the works we have read and discussed in this unit.” 

The day trip to Oxford is just one small piece of what brings strength and vitality to our Upper School English Department at St. Agnes. A key piece to that puzzle is Dr. Kathy Williamson herself, who has served as Department Chair for more than 15 years. According to Upper School Dean Heather Valdez, Dr. Williamson leads by example, providing guidance and support to our outstanding team of educators in the English Department: Dr. Elizabeth McIngvale, Emma Vescovo, Ellie Wills and Cathleen Zeanah. Dr. Williamson helps shape the department's vision and goals while working to enhance the educational experience for both students and educators.

During her 27 years of teaching, Dr. Williamson has positively impacted hundreds of SAA students. Her AP Literature Class, in particular, mirrors a college-level seminar. Each year her AP Literature students consistently pass the AP exam with a score of 4 or 5 (83%). Thirty-five SAA students took the AP Lit exam in 2023 and all passed with a 3 or higher. 

“Dr. Williamson is a dynamic educator who inspires her students and instills within them a love of literature and writing. She fully prepares students to excel in their college courses by teaching students how to research effectively and use academic sources to support their writing,” shared Dean Valdez.

The overarching goal for the English Department is to improve the reading comprehension and critical writing skills of all SAA students. “The vision we have is that students will master specific reading, writing, analytical, and grammar skills at each grade level, building on the foundation that was laid the previous year. By the time they graduate, our students will have acquired the ability to write clearly and effectively and to grapple with difficult texts. Personally, I hope to impress upon them the importance of writing for college and a future career, as well as to encourage a love of reading! My true goals are to make students into lifelong readers and capable writers.”

St. Agnes alumna Abby Hanson ’14 has fond memories of the Oxford trip her senior year. “The visit to Rowan Oak (and Oxford) is one of my favorite memories from SAA. None of my friends at other schools had an immersion experience in English. I fell in love with Southern novels in high school and the trip was a fangirl experience for me.”

As a Senior Content Strategist for Lyft corporation, Abby now finds herself in a career where success relies on her ability to write, edit, and communicate clearly to a broad range of audiences.  “My English classes at SAA were challenging, but they gave me an outstanding writing foundation,” shared Abby. “I learned quickly as a freshman at Spring Hill College that my writing and analytical skills were much more advanced than my peers from around the country. I had friends in college that paid me to proof their papers! Now I write and edit all day for a living.”