15 Questions for Larissa

Name: Larissa Kulyk Williams
Birthday: 10/17/1979

1. Where are your family roots from? Ukraine and Poland, Slavic through and through;)

2. How have your parents/guardian influenced you? A lot! Too much, trying to get them out of my head lately:) but my dad was an immigrant and the old school European values really played a big part in my childhood.

3. Can you remember your earliest childhood memory of happiness and that of fear? My memory is not what it once was... I can't pinpoint specifics, I know I was a really happy kid. I liked playing alone, outside mostly, and also loved playing with friends. I remember walking along the riverbed on our family property in upstate ny and looking down at my belly dressed in a purple and white striped bathing suit which made me think of Planter's Mr. Peanut, and then making up a little diddy 'I'm a little peanut '...I still sing the song sometimes... Sun shining down, close to setting, summertime... That was a happy memory, I was prob 3 1/2 years old. Not very many fear memories... Most recent was last year. My sister was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer... That fear is constant, not yet a memory…

4. Is there something in your life that you feel very passionate about? Oh man! So much! Love love love! Teaching peace and love to children, I truly believe is the only way to save our planet. So much energy, money, time, and lives are wasted. Education will save us if we give it a chance! Oh also the honey bee! Gotta plant some flowers and save the bees!

5. If you could be any animal, what animal would that be? plant? and insect? why? I never know how to answer that question... I like being human, but if I had to choose I think I'd like to be a bird, a nice song bird. They look so peaceful flying. I'd like to fly like a bird:) Honeybee would be my insect, my grandfather was an apiarist Maybe a dandelion for a plant, so I could take flight with the seeds:)

6. What is it about being a school teacher that keeps you satisfied for it to be your career? It sure as hell ain't the money!!!! It's fun and keeps you active. Children will love you and idolize you if you respect them... So basically I get to be a superstar everyday and perform for these kids.... I am an extrovert and a performer, so I feel like I'm on stage and the children are the best audience:) and there really is nothing like seeing a child 'get it' for the first time , and knowing you helped him get there

7. What is your process? and heroes? Maria Montessori all the way! Her basic philosophy is the idea of a triangle . The child at the top point, and the teacher, and the prepared learning environment on the bottom two points... Inside the triangle, everything is held together by love and respect.

8. Can you tell us something that you just learned that intrigued you? I listened to an npr piece on how everything is connected. The guy implied that the Earth is one large, living, breathing creature. And everything on it affects the other... How we all rely on each other, plankton, krill, whales, wolves, rivers... It was very eloquent and the guy wrote a book... But I can't remember what it's called:/ Also how extremely serious our honeybee situation is:( And I just watched a video of an elephant painting a picture, really amazing!:)

9. What is your perception of how people see you? I like to say I don't care, and try to lead my life that way. But I'm a pleaser, and never want anyone to dislike me... It makes me really anxious if someone 's not happy with me... I think I'm pretty nice, or at least I try…

10. What are you listening to these days? Carole king pandora station. Lots of late hippy music and soulful wailing:)

11. What's the best and worst decision you ever made? Having kids

12. Can you narrate to me your proudest moment? Most of my pride comes from my sweet angel babies, daily, I fluff my momma duck feathers and like to show them off:) Personally, I'm still trying to get there... Working on myself these days….

13. What do you find most ridiculous about life? Religion

14. Can you share a topic that causes your blood to boil? I can get pretty fiery... About a lot of things... But I can't think of one now… Wait! the state of education in this country is so infuriating to me….

15. If you could take a peek in your future (say 10 years from now), what would it look like? I'd have my own school, maybe get more involved in the community, I'd like to get really good at gardening, and I'd be enjoying myself and my family wherever im at in 10 years:)

7. (part deux) What are the qualities that draw you to people that you can base a friendship on? Intelligence is top of the list:) Humor is second. And you must love drinking wine with me:)


Thank you, Lu!

Check out 15 questions from Larissa's Husband, Jason Williams / back in Sept. 2013


all photos were used from Larissa's Facebook photo albums / Sunset beach photo: photo from Jennifer Parr Iudice