Tate High’s Gabby Williams dreams of being a voice actor

IOWA CITY — Gabby Williams “never really grew out of” watching cartoons.

Williams imitates and mimics what she hears on popular shows like “SpongeBob SquarePants,” “The Powerpuff Girls,” and “The Fairly OddParents” and dreams of someday being a voice actor.

“I’m a believer in happy endings,” Williams said. “I think everything works out in your favor in some way, and I always have hope.”

Williams is one of 48 students graduating from Tate High School at 7 p.m. June 1 at the Englert Theatre 221 E. Washington St. in Iowa City.

At 16, she is graduating early, for which she is proud of herself, but also “it’s kind of scary.” Williams transferred to Tate, an alternative high school in the Iowa City Community School District, for the 2022-23 school year. School felt “unbearable” at her previous school, Williams said, admitting her attendance was only spotty.

At Tate, she found a smaller community and teachers who she connected with.

“Gabby is a ray of light,” said Carrie Fitzgerald, a math teacher at Tate High. “She is kind, thoughtful, considerate and is always bringing a smile to every interaction she has with staff, students and members of the community.”

“I am beyond humbled and honored to have taught and known Gabby, and I know that she is going to accomplish big things on her journey ahead,” Fitzgerald said. “She has made Tate a better school, me a better teacher, and the community around her a little bit lighter.”

Chris Apling, a language arts teacher at Tate High, said Williams is a “rock star” who worked really hard to graduate early.

“She’s one of those kids that makes teachers hopeful for the future,” Apling said.

Apling said Williams is “super creative.” She frequently asks Apling to give her a prompt to improv with her friends after she’s finished with her classwork. Improv is a form of acting in which the plot, characters, dialogue, scene and story are made up in the moment.

Williams is attending Kirkwood Community College this fall, studying communications, which she hopes will be a “gateway” to voice acting, she said.

While at Tate, Williams created a dance club, which recently performed during halftime at a basketball scrimmage. “It was nerve-racking,” Williams said. “My stomach hurt all day and I was shaking, but during the performance I was up there laughing and having the time of my life.“

Williams also joined Tate Student Council, helping plan school spirit days and activities and a “fun day” for the last day of school for graduating seniors.

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