In Memory Of Our Beloved Wilcox Teachers: Ms. Courey
Ms.Courey
In Memoriam —
Ms. Camille Courey is the best English teacher Wilcox High School has even had — hands down. Savvy. Hardworking. Detail-oriented. Focused on student success. Brilliant. She prepared every student she ever taught for AP exams, college, and beyond. You left her class (and her presence) a deep thinker, a better writer, a skilled reader, and a confident communicator. She cared deeply for her craft. Ms.Courey would leave campus late every evening making sure she provided detailed feedback to each student. There will be never be another teacher like her. Ms. Courey’s love of literature and language elevated everyone around her. I miss her deeply– we all do. Thank you Camille Courey for being the best in your field and for generously teaching all of us to be our very best selves.
Godspeed–
Ms. Guttadauro
“When I became an English Teacher here I was definitely a bit in awe, but also a bit scared, of how amazing Ms. Courey was. She is definitely one of the best teachers that I have had the honor to work with. I genuinely appreciated any time that I could talk to her about content or when she could share resources with me. I treasure my time as a teacher alongside Ms. Courey and know that she touched many lives and that many students had the privilege of becoming better readers, writers, thinkers and contributors to society due to the time they had Ms. Courey as a teacher.” – Ms. Stott
“Ms. Courey’s immeasurable impact on her students went beyond analyzing classic literature and writing compelling arguments; she empowered us to use language, the most powerful tool at our disposal, to think on our own and transform the world around us.” – Sezen Musa (12)
Wilcox High School has had some phenomenal English Teachers in the fifteen years I have been part of the English Department but none of them would disagree with me when I say that Camille Courey was hands down the best.
She worked tirelessly to make her students the best English scholars they could be. She held them accountable for their own growth. She had extremely high expectations and made sure that the students had high expectations of themselves. She showed them tough love, with the key aspect being “love.”
When students took Ms. Courey’s classes they knew that they were going to work hard but they also knew that the hard work would pay off and that by the end of the year they were going to read better, write better, and think more critically. They were going to be better versions of themselves.
On a personal note, Camille was a great friend and colleague. Yes she could be straight forward and a little prickly at times but often this came from a positive place. Camille was my induction mentor and supported me when I first started at Wilcox. She would share lesson plans, materials, teaching strategies, and ways to deal with problematic teaching situations. She was a great influence upon me as a teacher and the English Department at Wilcox as a whole and one of my proudest moments was when one day she said, “I don’t have to worry about you. You know what you are doing.” Camille’s lessons and teaching materials, although modified and adapted as they have gone from teacher to teacher, still permeate the classrooms and lessons at Wilcox to this day.
The loss of Ms. Courey isn’t only a loss to her friends and family. It isn’t only a loss to the English Department and the Wilcox Community as a whole. It is a loss to teaching and learning and a loss to all the future students and teachers who will not get to benefit from her amazing passion and knowledge.
Thank you for everything Camille.
You are valued and you are loved.
Mr. Jackson.
