Hallways in the school are adorned with posters advertising the Writing Center, each featuring a typewriter — these posters were designed by Amethyst Willey Stephenson, the English composition assistant who spent three years at this school helping students with their writing and their well-being. Stephenson worked in the Writing Center from January 2022 to June 2025. Known as Ms. Willey, she married in May 2022 but continued using her birth name at school. 

Stephenson died on Feb. 8, at age 47, allegedly stabbed to death by her estranged husband, according to CBS News. 

For the teachers who worked beside her, Stephenson’s personality was impossible to miss. She was witty and had an infectious laugh that had a way of making people laugh alongside her. “She was very open-hearted, warm and welcoming. She could easily start a conversation with anybody and cared deeply about the well-being of the students she worked with,” English composition assistant Regina Gretschel said.

Gretschel and Stephenson worked closely together in the Writing Center, where their days were filled with helping both students and teachers. “We often discussed our favorite parts of the job and we both agreed that helping students with the college essay was our favorite. You get to know them in a different way,” Gretschel said.

Stephenson brought a special patience and understanding to the Writing Center. Before coming to this school, she had experience tutoring students with learning disabilities and had received specialized training in them. Her background also included being fluent in American Sign Language, which she learned in college because her younger brother is deaf. “She was very aware of student rights and the rights of marginalized groups. She was an advocate to make sure people received what they needed to learn,” Gretschel said. 

AP Seminar and Honors English 12 teacher Catherine Boswell remembers Stephenson bringing enthusiasm to her work. “I would describe Ms. Willey as effervescent. She was so bubbly, funny and kind. She was incredibly bright,” she said.

Stephenson would go into meetings with ideas about language and ways to help students improve their writing mechanics. She would check with teachers in advance about upcoming assignments so she could better assist the students who visited the Writing Center. “She really made the Writing Center a place where students felt supported,” Boswell said.

Outside of teaching, Stephenson loved literature and spoke about the books she enjoyed reading. Particularly, she admired Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice and the way Jane Austen developed his character. She also had an adventurous spirit and a love of travel. Whenever a school break or long weekend appeared on the calendar, she would be planning a trip. “She loved discovering new experiences,” Gretschel said.

Even as she worked at the school, she was already thinking about how she could help people in new ways. During her final year here, she began taking classes at Montgomery College with the goal of becoming a mental health therapist. “She was a cornerstone of our school community and the Writing Center, bringing a unique warmth and dedication that touched the lives of students and staff. She will be deeply missed,” Principal Dr. Joseph Bostic said.

For those who pass by them each day, may the typewriter posters serve as a gentle reminder of a teacher who helped her students find the right words.