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EDITOR’S NOTE: The LaGrange Daily News is doing a Q&A with all of the teachers of the year in the Troup County School System. Today, we are writing about Laura Willimon, Math teacher at Troup High School. We asked her 20 questions, and we shortened this interview to some of our favorite responses.

Laura Willimon has worked in education for three decades. She has worked for TCSS for 23 years with the last seven at Troup High.

Willimon has three children, Elizabeth, who graduated from LaGrange High and works at Principal Construction; Evelyn, who graduated from LaGrange High and teaches with Laura at Troup High; and Rich, who graduated from LaFayette Christian and works at Stanford Automotive while working on his degree at West Georgia Tech.

What or who inspired you to become an educator?

“When I was in high school, I would spend my study hall tutoring other students in math. I knew then that teaching was what I wanted to do.”

What are your career aspirations? 

“Honestly, I enjoy the students and being in the classroom so I don’t really see myself doing anything else.”

If you weren’t a teacher, what career field would you be in? 

“If I were not a teacher, I would probably have gone into my second choice of being a nurse.”

What hidden talent do you have that might surprise your students and our readers?

“Several years ago my daughter got me into CrossFit and my all-time max deadlift is 280 pounds.”

 What fictional character (from a book, movie, TV show, etc.) represents your teaching style?

“I really wasn’t sure so I asked my students. They said Shrek because I love them like a parent but I am loud.”

What’s the most creative/unique project one of your classes has worked on?

“Students were asked to design a shipping box for bars of soap that would have the greatest volume with the least amount of surface area.”

What’s the most rewarding part about your job? 

“Not just the students currently in my class, but the former students that I will see out in the community and get to catch up with what they are doing now.”

What’s the most challenging part of your job? 

Trying to get students off of their cell phones

What did it mean to you to be named your school’s teacher of the year?

“It means the world to have my school family honor me this way. I am blessed to work with some amazing people.”

On a weekend or a summer day when school is out, what are your favorite activities? 

“I enjoy hanging out at home with my family and two dogs.”

As your students transition to the next grade or graduate in May, what is one key takeaway you hope they carry forward from their time in your class? 

“That they can do hard things and that they will always have me in their corner.”