If you visit Mrs. Williston’s classroom during fourth block, you won’t find Mrs. Williston. Instead, you will find one of our brand-new teachers here at UHS: Mrs. Michelle Tressa! Upon meeting her, you’re likely to be met with a welcoming smile and an accented greeting.
Tressa’s accent comes from South Africa, where she grew up and completed her studies. She went on to China shortly after, where she taught and eventually met her husband. The two of them lived abroad for a couple of years and traveled in Southeast Asia before deciding to “unpack a suitcase for once and settle down for a while”. The choice was between America, where her husband was from, or South Africa, back to her roots.
During the pandemic, she and her husband went to their respective home countries. This was when her husband got a job coaching baseball at Hood College in Frederick. After things with COVID calmed down, Mrs. Tressa joined her husband and they settled in Frederick, where he began teaching at Frederick High School.
Even after joining her husband here as he started his teaching career, she was not always certain of what she wanted to do. “Having a degree in both psychology and graphic design, my ultimate goal is to combine those with my teaching certificate and go into art therapy,” said Tressa.
For now, she is at Urbana teaching graphic design and Journalism, and the school is lucky to have her. Mrs. Tressa’s ideal classroom environment could be described as open, welcoming, and inspiring. “I want to be the teacher that students come to class and leave feeling like they’ve created something they’re proud of”, she explained.
Her advice to students is simple, “You are never too old to do something. I’ve always been the type to try something new if it interests me”. This can be seen in her world travels—over 10 countries—and her experiences with many different cultures along the way. Each new place she visited gave her fresh perspectives and new ideas that she now brings into her classroom. Her passion for creativity and exploration shows in the way she encourages students to experiment, take risks, and try things they might not have considered before.
She hopes that students who enter her classroom will see it as a space where they can be themselves and push their creative limits. More than anything, she wants her students to walk out of class each day feeling accomplished and proud of their work. Whether they are working on a design project or writing for journalism, she wants them to feel supported and excited about what they are creating.
Her students can expect an atmosphere where their voices are valued and their ideas matter. She strives to make sure that no one feels left out or unheard, and she believes that when students feel safe and included, they are able to produce their best work. By creating a classroom filled with mutual respect and encouragement, she hopes to inspire her students to not only become better artists and writers but also more confident individuals.
With her background, her global experiences, and her drive to help students succeed, Mrs. Tressa is bringing a unique energy to UHS. Her welcoming spirit, paired with her love for learning and trying new things, makes her an inspiring addition to the school community. She hopes to be the kind of teacher students remember long after they’ve left her class—the one who helped them discover their own creativity and believe in their own potential.
