One City, Two Teams, My Story

My name is Reese Williams and this summer I had the wonderful opportunity to Intern with the Liberty Hill ISD Communications Department. For starters, I am a student at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, TX. I am majoring in Communications with a minor in Business and English. I will begin the second semester of my Junior year in late August. This internship has provided important experiences and created valued relationships that I will cherish forever.

These past few months I have seen Liberty Hill ISD in a completely different way than I have in my whole life. Being a 2022 graduate of Liberty Hill High School, and an attendee of LHISD since Kindergarten, I had grown accustomed to the drive 30 minutes to the grocery store, and know everyone, small town. As I grew in school, Liberty Hill did too. In the 15 years I have been an LH native, we have gone from five campuses to 11 as of this past week. And not to mention, this Texas Football town finally got its Dairy Queen only about six years ago.

Over the summer my perspective shifted, as if I were viewing everything through a new lens. A new lens figuratively and literally, as you may or may not have seen me taking photos at numerous District events over the summer. I also played a role in managing social media accounts, designing graphics for upcoming events and holidays, and, most importantly, embracing a continuous learning process. Even though I graduated two years ago, LHISD has shown me that there is always more to learn and you are forever a part of the Liberty Hill family.

When my family and I moved across Hwy 29 in 2018, the chances of my two younger siblings graduating as Panthers were becoming slim. The thought of small town Liberty Hill having two high schools seemed far off, but there is no day like the present! I am now a proud big sister to a Legacy Ranch Wrangler and a Santa Rita Stallion. And I think I am more excited than them about their new schools. Being a student intern, I worked closely with our new high school Legacy Ranch over the summer. I even started wearing more blue than purple thanks to Mr. Koller’s “blue only” fashion sense. Although I may be a K-12, OG Panther, I feel I am an honorary Wrangler, or as the kids call it, I am “So Legacy”. In conclusion, you could say “I root for both”.

As my summer comes to a close, I have nothing but gratitude for LHISD, Rachel Acosta, Kristin Coulter, and Mr. Snell. Without them, I would not have had the opportunity to have this monumental experience for my future professional endeavors. Being housed in the Administration building has given me a new appreciation for those in our School District. Witnessing firsthand the dedication and effort that goes into making our district amazing has been eye-opening. It’s clear that a large amount of time and energy is devoted to equipping our teachers with the tools they need to continue Building Champions.

Although so much change has happened since I was a student, somehow everything still feels exactly the same. This summer was like a walk down memory lane, but with a few new places and faces along the way. As Mr. Snell stated, “It’s a new era. We have Panther Nation, we have Wrangler Nation. But we are going to come together as One Liberty Hill.” And remember, every day is a great day to be a Panther, and a Wrangler! Go Cats! Wreck Em!