Willis ISD Fall 2023

LONG-TIME ATHLETIC SECRETARY HAS ALWAYS BLED PURPLE M S . VIRGINIA \\ Matt Malatesta

ATHLETIC SECRETARY VIRGINIA NICKERSON HAS SEEN IT ALL AS A MEMBER OF THE WILLIS COMMUNITY. She attended Willis as a student, and recently celebrated her 42nd birthday… working for Willis ISD. Four decades of serving the Wildkats, and she’s still going strong. “I bleed purple,” she laughed. “As long as the good Lord lets me have warm blood in my veins, I’ll be here. I just love the energy and the direction that things are going here.” Nickerson started as a part time bus driver back in 1982. “I drove Michael Bishop back when he was in high school,” she said. “I’ll never forget him playing basketball and football. He led us to the playoffs in the Astrodome. That put Willis on the map.” Bishop would go on to Kansas State and finish second in the Heisman Trophy race in 1998. Fast-forward 25 years and Nickerson is witnessing another generational talent in DJ Lagway, Jr. “They are pretty similar,” she said. “Just kids, you know? I’d love to see DJ surpass Michael’s (Bishop) journey. I guess we will just have to wait and see.” After many stints in different departments from transportation, to the CTE secretary, to working in Special Ed, to working in the Grade Level Office, to

Jason has us moving in the right direction.” So, after witnessing thousands of athletes roam the halls of Willis over the years, who are her all-time favorites? “That’s easy,” she said with a twinkle in her eye. “James Nickerson and LaTisha Lovelady… my children. I loved to watch them play.”

jobs from purchase orders to handling receiving to paying officials to lining up stadium workers, etc. She enables new boss (Executive Director of AD and Fine Arts) Jason Glenn to do his job. “Jason is carrying Willis athletics and fine arts into the future,” she said. “We have to leave the old school behind us and move forward.

being a financial clerk – she found a stable place in the athletics’ office. “I’ve seen it all and how this community has grown,” she said. “It’s growing so fast, but I just hope it keeps a small-town feel. I remember when we were a (Class) 3A school.” Working in athletics, Nickerson handles a litany of

willisisd.org // SEPT 2023 // WILLIS ISD // 11