PROFILE

"A winner never quits and a quitter never wins." -Dad


My name is Frank Williams. I live my life with passion. I love my family, my friends, movies, music, and traveling. I am from Collingswood, NJ. I am a full-time teacher of English at Camden County Technical Schools - Gloucester Township Campus, located in Sicklerville, New Jersey. Teaching is great because I am constantly learning.

Someone once told me, "Do what you love and love what you do." I'm lucky to be able to say that I can. Not only do I have the great opportunity to learn and grow as a student of the world, but I am blessed with the responsibility of challenging and enlightening the minds of others. I could not be happier with my life.

Yet, arriving at my current lot in life was not without challenge or adversity. When I was a kid, I had trouble reading. I suppose there is some irony to this, being that I am an English/LAL teacher. However, I struggled. I eventually overcame this hurdle and achieved proficient marks. This took a lot of time and effort, but I was willing to give it just that, because I made it important to me. I told myself, “The only way that you are going to be successful is to face this problem and overcome.” With the help of my teachers and parents, I busted out of the specialized reading classes to which I had been assigned and learned how to read on the same level as my peers.

Nonetheless, my academic problems were not the only issues that plagued my youth. Until I was a junior in high school, I was a “fat kid” and endured much scrutiny for my weight problem. I played sports and tried to eat healthy, but nothing seemed to work. A strong commitment to physical activity and “miracle diets” did nothing for me. Then, during the summer before my senior year of high school, the weight magically shed from my body. I came in as a senior and nobody recognized me! I see this transformation as profound and life-altering, and as a blessing. I have always been a spiritual person, but this really impacted my faith and confidence in a higher power. All of the scrutiny and criticism made me a stronger person, and just as I am about to embark on the next step in my life - college - God rewarded me with a new body that was equally fit as my mind. The Lord works in mysterious ways, as they say.

Every person encounters struggle, but it is perseverance that defines our character and makes us who we are. I approach everyday with a positive attitude and look to enrich the lives of my students, regardless of what gauntlets they or anyone else lay before me. After I die, I want to live on through my teachings. I want my students to carry and promote my message of positivity, optimism, and idealism, as well as a spirit and desire to learn.

 

Collingswood is my home.

FAMILY


"To maintain a joyful family requires much from both the parents and the children. Each member of the family has to become, in a special way, the servant of the others." -Pope John Paul II


 I have 2 people to thank for my existence. My parents, Frank & Patricia, are still happily married and still very much in love after 30 plus years of marriage. I have a younger brother (Matt) and a younger sister (Kate), and I consider myself to be a good big brother and I look out for them even now, despite the fact that they are adults and all grown up. I love my family very much. They are my understanding of what is right and good in this world and I live to make them happy. I am who I am because of them.

That's me on the right along with my
brother, Matt, and sister, Kate.

FRIENDS

"I shambled after as I've been doing all my life after people who interest me, because the only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones that never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes 'Awww!'" -Jack Kerouac


 I love my friends. They get me. No matter what happens, I know they'll be there to back me with unconditional support. Some of my friends have moved away, to other towns, other states, and even other countries, but they remain close at heart and we maintain constant communication.

I'm in the middle.

FROM THE CRADLE TO THE GRAVE

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.” -Charles R. Swindoll

 I don't fear death. I think my biggest fear is getting older. I suppose it's because I long to be young and free like I was when I was a kid and life was simple. The older you get, the more life gets complicated and less seems possible. Hopes and dreams are compromised by responsibilities and expectations. People fade in and fade out of your life. Babies are born and loved ones die. God adds and subtracts from the world as seen fit. Sometimes things just don't make sense and there are more questions than answers. Yet, it matters not, because there is no stopping the clock once it has started ticking. From the cradle to the grave, the only thing that truly matters is happiness; finding people, places, and things that complete your puzzle and make life worth living. I have learned to stop worrying about things that I can't control and to just have fun with the time that I still have. Yesterday is a memory, today is a gift, and tomorrow is not promised.

"Dream as if you'll live forever,

live as if you'll die today." -James Dean

MY EDUCATION

"To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift." -Steve Prefontaine

 As a student of the Collingswood School District, I believe that I enjoyed a first class education. I attended Zane-North Elementary School as a child. During this time, it became apparent that I had difficulty reading. With the right tutoring and motivation to become the best me that I could be, I became a proficient reader. From Zane-North, I went to Collingswood High School, and I still embody school spirit and "panther pride" for my alma mater. I did especially well in English/LAL and history classes. My interest in the arts and humanities is what made the difference.

 I graduated from Collingswood High School and was accepted to Rowan University. Due to my mediocre grades in high school, I had to attend the Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) Summer Program, also known as the Pre-College Institute (PCI). It was a 6-week academic boot camp that prepared me and about 130 other incoming freshmen for the rigors of college life. It proved to be one of the greatest experiences of my life and I attribute much of my success in college to PCI. My PCI classmates were my brothers and sisters and we operated like a family, supporting each other every step of the way. I was so enthralled by my experience in PCI that I decided to work the summer program not once, not twice, but three years. As a result of my high GPA following freshman year, I was made a teaching assistant for incoming freshmen students in PCI. It's a great feeling to impact the lives of students. It was during PCI that I realized I wanted to become a teacher.

 I am so very grateful for my experience in PCI and forever in debt to Rowan University for the opportunities that they afforded me. I found my calling and had the time of my life while I was in college. I am thankful for the fun and memorable experiences that I enjoyed with my fraternity brothers at Delta Kappa Epsilon (DKE); the responsibility and leadership that I developed as a member of the Peer Referral & Orientation Staff (PROS); the guidance and influence that I was able to instill as a resident assistant (RA); the knowledge and skills that I acquired as a member of the Student Government Association (SGA). All of these extra-curricular opportunities, and the friends that were born through them, are responsible for giving me the best years of my life and shaping me into the professional that I am today. I graduated from Rowan University with 2 bachelor degrees, a BA in Communication and a BA in English, as well as a Certification in Secondary Education.

CAREER

“I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” -Michael Jordan

 I am a teacher of English/LAL in the Camden County Technical School District, where I serve as my content area representative in the Integrated Studies Program (ISP) at the Gloucester Township Campus, located in Sicklerville, NJ. It is a program that is rooted in constructivism and focuses on project-based learning through the use of educational technology, including new and innovative web tools, such as Moodle and Project Foundry. The ISP is the future of education... and it's now.

True education does not have any walls.

“I never teach my pupils; I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn.” -Albert Einstein

1. PASSIONATE

 I selected this image as a symbol for passion, because I believe that when someone is passionate about something, they have a fire burning deep-down inside of them; a fire in their eyes, if you will. When I commit to doing something, I give my all. I believe that if you are going to do something, then you should do it the right way and give nothing short of your best. One of my favorite quotes is from the legendary runner, Steve Prefontaine. He said, "To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift." I always make a conscious effort to utilize my "gifts" and not leave any room to question whether or not I gave it my all.

2. INNOVATIVE

 I selected this image as a symbol for innovative, because I believe that there is risk and reward involved when it comes to innovation. When you dare to do something differently, there is a chance of failure. There is a possibility that your ideas and actions might lead to your downfall. However, there is also the prospect of doing something that lights up the world and leads to greatness. The risk of falling flat on my face doesn't sway me, because the reward makes it worthwhile, especially if the innovation sparks from a true and noble place. I like to light things up!

3. ARTISTIC

 I selected this image as a symbol for artistic for a few reasons. First of all, I took this picture when I was in Brussels, Belgium. I love photography. I take A LOT of pictures. I travel quite a bit, so photography is something that I have developed a talent for. Secondly, the image is a video store and features the word 'cinema'. Not only do I love movies, but I am also an actor, writer, director, and producer of independent film. Then, there is just the design element. I love the colors and structural style of the storefront. It's 3-D with graffiti and good, vivid imagery. I can identify with all of these things and I feel that the quality of being artistic is accurately communicated through this symbol.

4. RELIGIOUS

I was raised a devout Catholic and I go to church most Sundays. My spirituality helps guide me in life. My mom has always told me to "live like Christ" and to ask myself, "What would Jesus do?" So, I have always practiced this, and this mindset has helped me through some tough times in my life. The image of the cross is an obvious symbolism of my Catholicism and religious roots. I selected the Celtic cross, because I am Irish Catholic.

5. ADVENTUROUS

 I selected this image as a symbol for adventurous, because I think that whenever you do something visceral and exciting that perhaps could compromise your safety and/or livelihood out of a thrill-seeking spirit, you are dangling from the edge of reason and insanity. In the picture, we see a man doing just that; dangling from the edge. I am an adventurous type.  I like to try new and different things. Whether it is skydiving thousands of feet into the open air, bungee jumping from a rail bridge, zip-cord gliding across the jungle, running with the bulls, swimming with the sharks, or eating exotic foods in strange lands, I am game! In fact, all of those things appear on my "bucket list" and some have already been checked off. I like to be daring and throw caution to the wind to feel a real sense of excitement. I like to feel alive, even at the risk of death.