The steady hum of blow dryers and quiet buzz of clippers fill the room as students crowd around a styling chair, eyes fixed on the technique their classmate is learning. At the center, offering calm guidance and a quick smile, stands a teacher who’s been here hundreds of times before—yet still treats each moment like it matters. For 18 years, she has been more than a teacher—she has been a mentor, a motivator, and often the person who helps students believe in themselves for the first time. “I do what I do because I love what I do,” cosmetology teacher Sharonda Williams said of this year’s Be Remarkable recipients.
Before she ever stepped into a classroom, Williams was already making an impact behind the salon chair. As a full-time hairdresser and proud Bryan High alumnus, she built a thriving career rooted in care and connection. But when a call came about an opening in the school’s cosmetology program, something told her it was more than a coincidence. What started as a temporary subbing assignment soon became a calling she could not ignore.
“It was a huge decision to make because I was giving up a full clientele to come into the school,” Williams said. “But it was probably one of the best decisions I made.”
That decision was not just about changing careers; it was about returning to her roots and giving back to the place that helped shape her.
“Knowing that I graduated from here and knowing the training I had gotten, I knew I could help the industry by preparing students to go out into the world,” Williams said. “My parents saw something in me that I didn’t see—they had a very strong influence on my life.”
Since then, Williams has transformed the cosmetology program into a rigorous yet nurturing environment, a place where students grow not only as artists but also as individuals.
“In the last 18 years, it’s been her show, and she’s been the one to keep it running and be the lifeblood of that program,” Principal Lane Buban said. “She’s grown it, and it continues to grow.”
Mrs. Williams’ kind yet firm hand has kept the cosmetology program steady and on track, enabling students to achieve success.
“Stability is the key word for this campus,” he said. “And I think her program has been so successful because she’s had her hand on it since she got here.”
Mr. Buban believes that Williams’ kind and giving spirit is one of her many attributes that make her so deserving of the Be Remarkable Award.
“She’s just constantly finding ways to give back,” Buban said. “And I think that’s why she is good—I mean, she’s the right person for that to be given to.”
Her former students agree. Gracey Sanchez, Class of 2009, said Williams was among the first people to believe in her when she could not believe in herself.
“There were so many times when things got hard in cosmetology school, but because she pushed me and believed in me, it gave me the courage to just push—do things scared, do things anyway,” Sanchez said. “Because of the comments and encouragement she instilled in me, I’ve had so many opportunities to think of the things she said, and it pushes me to step out of my comfort zone.”
That lasting encouragement is a common thread among Williams’ former students, many of whom credit her with helping shape their futures both professionally and personally.
“When I think of someone who made a huge impact in my life, I think of Sharonda Williams,” Sanchez said. “She’s definitely one of my biggest mentors in life—not just for me, but for so many other people I know.”
That outpouring of appreciation has been humbling for Williams, who rarely stops to reflect on the ripple effects of her work.
“The Be Remarkable Award opened my eyes to how to accept recognition,” Williams said. “It gave me flowers I didn’t know I deserved and made me want to keep pushing.”
For Juanita Juarez, Class of 2019, Williams helped her find confidence when she was new to the country and struggling with the English language.
“I had only been in the United States for a year when I started cosmetology, and I was really afraid to speak in front of people because of my accent,” Juarez said. “Mrs. Williams always pushed me to improve—to stand up for myself and speak up, to open my mouth like she said.”
That encouragement did not end in the classroom. For Juarez, Williams’ words became a source of strength that carried into every new challenge.
“I always think about Mrs. Williams when I’m speaking to a group,” Juarez said. “She gave me the courage to grow and not be afraid.”
Williams said her classroom has always been about more than just technique—it’s about transformation.
“This is more than just cosmetology. This is life,” Williams said. “You deal with people’s insides and outsides—appearance and self-esteem—and build relationships through conversation and care.”
That philosophy has left a lasting impression on her students, including senior Arianna Nino, who said Williams not only supported her but helped guide her through some of the most challenging moments in her life.
“I most definitely feel like Miss Williams has led me in a way I don’t think many adults in my life have,” Nino said. “She’s a very wise woman—wise in compassion and understanding.”
That wisdom, paired with unwavering compassion, is something her students not only admire but also feel.
“She’s seen me in an ugly way and didn’t hold that against me, you know?” Nino said. “So I appreciate her for, like, I guess, loving me past the ugliness.”
It is that kind of genuine care that students point to when explaining why Williams is so deserving of recognition.
“She’s one of the realest ones here,” she said. “She’s God-fearing, and that’s very important in this life. She deserves that award because she cares. She cares about her students, she cares about the world, and the difference that she can make. And that’s always gonna help the world.”
That impact doesn’t stop after high school. For many, like former student-turned-teacher Marquez, Williams remains a guiding light.
“She was like a second mom to me,” Marquez said. “When I wasn’t listening at home, she was the one I turned to. She taught me a lot, but the biggest lesson was to never give up on what you’re doing.”
That mentorship didn’t end at graduation. Now working alongside Williams, Marquez says the lessons keep coming, only now from across the hall instead of across the desk.
“It’s been amazing to learn from her as a colleague now,” she said. “Everything she says and does is a lesson. It’s a blessing because not everybody gets that kind of opportunity.”
Through it all, Williams said the most important part of the job has never changed: helping students recognize their own potential.
“It’s important that when you start something, you finish,” Williams said. “And that you help each student see their potential and what they’re capable of doing. My favorite part is the connection—watching them grow, seeing their success when they realize they can do it.”
That connection runs deeper than academics. For Williams, it’s not just about the lessons taught in a classroom, but the lasting impressions carried into the future.
“My son once said, ‘There’s a difference between an impact and an influence,’” Williams said. “You can impact anyone, but to leave an influence is even better.”
