I Get A Lot of Joy Seeing Value Added to Children’s Lives Says Recipient of PM’s Medal of Appreciation

Suzanne Williams, Executive Director and Founder of Liberty Academy at the Priory in St. Andrew, was among 79 recipients of the Prime Minister’s Medal of Appreciation for Service to Education, at Jamaica House, on May 28.

“I get a lot of joy seeing value added to children’s lives. When people bring a child and say nothing can be done, and we’re able to take that child to a place of independence… watching them blossom, it gives me a lot of joy,” she tells JIS News.

That joy was first ignited at just 16 years old, while attending St. Andrew High School. Through a volunteer programme for the then Jamaican Movement for the Advancement of Literacy (JAMAL), now Jamaica Foundation for Lifelong Learning JFLL), Mrs. Williams first encountered the power of education.

It was only the beginning. At 17, she left Jamaica to attend university in Canada, completing her first degree in Geography. Upon returning home, she began teaching, first at Immaculate Conception High School, then Excelsior Primary, and later at St. Hugh’s Preparatory.

But it was her work as a Research Assistant at the Jamaica Association for the Deaf that would forever shape her path.

“I was able to view education from a different point of view. I visited schools all over the island. That exposure deepened my interest, especially in special education,” Mrs. Williams says.

The work was deeply personal, as she had family members who had Down Syndrome and deafness, so special needs were not foreign or uncomfortable to her.

“It wasn’t out of the ordinary for me. They were fully integrated into our family. That helped me see special education differently and my family did not seem out of the ordinary,” she shares.

Recognising the vast gaps in Jamaica’s special education system, Mrs. Williams applied for a Commonwealth Scholarship and was accepted at the University of Toronto, where she earned a Master’s degree in Programme Development in Special Education.

On her return to the island, she spent several years teaching at various institutions, while caring for her three children along with her husband. But her most transformative work was yet to come, and it would not begin in a school but in her own backyard.

“I decided to homeschool my children. Then a neighbour asked to join. Then another. Then another who was also an educator asked to join and take her children as well; so, we grew to eight children,” she recalls.

From that modest classroom carved out of a backyard room, an open area where activities could be done with the children, a seed was planted, and the group enjoyed a solid year of progress.

Then Hurricane Gilbert struck in 1988. The Williamses’ home was destroyed but the vision was not. With the help of generous community members and sponsorship from Founder of Island Records, Chris Blackwell, a small community school was born in Irish Town, eventually serving more than 40 children for about six years.

But it was in 1994, through prayer and divine prompting, that Liberty Academy was formally born.

“I prayed about it. I felt a clear directive from the Lord, as my church had announced that they wanted to start a basic school and I thought maybe I could partner with them, because at this point, we needed more space,” Mrs. Williams says.

Partnering with Swallowfield Chapel, where she was a member of the church, Mrs. Williams started Liberty Preparatory on the church grounds, with children bussed in daily from Irish Town. She stayed true to her faith, as she says the Lord had given her very clear instructions on how the school should be structured.

Mrs. Williams tells JIS News that the school’s focus on special education was not planned, it was developed over time as they received more students.

“When you start a private school, the children who come to you are often those not accepted elsewhere. By the second year, we started our first class for children with mild to moderate learning needs,” she notes.

Using individualised programmes like Accelerated Christian Education (ACE) and the structured ABEKA system, Liberty grew into a sanctuary for children with untapped potential.

Today, Liberty Academy at the Priory, located at 32 Hope Road, is a thriving, integrated school with a diverse student body.

“We’re not 100 per cent special needs but we are definitely designed to meet children where they’re at and move them ahead,” Mrs. Williams says.

It is a mission rooted not just in education but faith in Christ. She places all the successes at the school squarely at the point of having a relationship with God, who guides and directs her decisions at the institution.

“It’s not just about the children but being able to share the word of God with them. At Liberty, it’s a whole family environment. Our staff grow spiritually; they come in and learn that children flourish in environments of acceptance and love. That love comes from Jesus Christ,” she says.

For Mrs. Williams, education is more than a profession; it’s a calling. “You can’t enter this profession just because it’s a job,” she says.

“Children see through people. You have to love them. You have to want to serve children that come your way, which is not always easy,” Mrs. Williams tells JIS News.

On her award, Mrs. Williams says: “It’s an honour to be recognised but I give God the glory. I could not have done any of this without His support and guidance along the way.”

Mrs. Williams’ church family has rejoiced with her, and her biological family members have beamed with pride at her recognition.

“There have been many challenges. Changing mindsets, funding, sacrifices. But every teacher must have a personal vision of what they want to achieve with their students,” she tells JIS News.

“If it’s something you love to do, pursue it. Do it with excellence. The rewards are not always tangible but they are eternal,” Mrs. Williams says.