Espy Plath & Will Gater

Dynamic Duo Brings Enthusiasm to Classes at Prep

When Sandia Prep faculty members and married couple Esperanza “Espy” Plath and William “Will” Gater and their family go for walks, you can see them coming. There are five of them: Mom, Dad, their two young sons, and their “old man” dog.

“We’re quite the crew, coming down the road,” Espy says. “Usually, Will is pushing the stroller, and I’m carrying the tiny tied bag of dog doo. Life is funny!”

That cheery outlook toward the every day is something both teachers try to carry into their classrooms -- eighth-grade and upper school theater, English, and a Senior Advanced Seminar for Espy; pre-calculus and Algebra 2 for Will.

“Teaching is all about the students and interacting with them,” Will says. “Teenagers are fun, especially high schoolers. They say unpredictable things that make you laugh; they find obscure perspectives. Life is still so fresh and new to them that it helps me feel young.”

Will found his way to Prep five years ago; Espy followed two years later.

An Albuquerque native, Will played high school football. When he graduated with a math degree from the University of New Mexico, he wasn’t sure what to do with it. “So I walked into a local tutoring company and asked if they needed a math tutor,” he explains. From there, he expanded into standardized test prep. “Next thing I know, I am doing student teaching at the university and have now been teaching for 18 years.”

His time on the football field influenced the organization and discipline he brings to lesson planning, assignments, and assessments.

Espy, too, is a New Mexico native but was born and raised in the southern part of the state. She earned her bachelor of arts in Theater: Production from Willamette University in Salem, Ore., and a master’s in English Literature from UNM.

She played the piano as a child and discovered a passion for the bassoon and band in middle school, which continued all through college. Because bassoons don’t march, Espy learned to play various mallet instruments, usually xylophone or marimba. 

“The music program in Clovis was huge and fantastic, I had amazing band directors and private tutors, and as a result, fantastic opportunities,” Espy says. Her most exciting trips and experiences happened with the band.

“These experiences certainly influence me now because I want to be able to provide similar mind-blowing experiences for my theater students,” she says. “If I can build a program that provides opportunities for inspiration, creativity, and learning, then I’ll be doing right by all of my previous band directors.”

Espy discovered her love for theater in college through an English professor who also happened to be a theater teacher and director. “Her passion was palpable, and it made me want to be a part of the theater,” she exclaims. “Once I stepped into her theater literature class, I was home. We read plays, discussed plays, analyzed scripts - fantastic work.”

Will and Espy met when they both taught at St. Pius X High School, but they didn’t exactly rush into things. “We taught seven years together before we went on our first date,” Will says.

Working at the same school again is fun, but they don’t cross paths as often as you might think.

They do have lunch duty together on Wednesdays, where they “scan the cafeteria for wayward activity,” Espy says. “It’s work, but it’s also a moment to catch up and say, ‘Hey.” We don’t see each other often during the normal work day, so it’s truly a treat.”

One of the things both Will and Espy say they appreciate about Prep is its community of kindness. “People really care for one another and support each other,” Will says.

The couple experienced some of that support during the pandemic, when their youngest son, Paul, was born. “Everyone in the community was very supportive and very kind,” he says. “It made working and having a newborn not as stressful as it could have been.”

Paul is now 2, and their older son, Henry, is 8.

Spending time with his young family is Will’s favorite pastime, playing, watching movies, cooking, and baking together. “If we could make vacationing a family hobby, we would,” he says. 

His personal pastimes include reading, watching professional football and basketball, and playing video games. “I am a really big Green Bay Packers fan,” he adds. Hence, their 10-year-old dog’s name: Packer.

Espy takes advantage of occasional opportunities to join band concerts at Prep. She recently played bassoon during a faculty member’s trumpet recital.

Two of her favorite moments this year were opening nights for both the upper school play and musical -- “seeing my students working backstage and on-stage to make a story come alive for a live audience,” she says. “Those have both been fantastic moments!” 

Like Will, Espy appreciates the atmosphere at Prep. “It’s unique and special because it is so inclusive. Most of the students are heavily involved in a variety of activities and groups, and nearly all of them have bought into their Prep experience.”

While theater is certainly a collaborative endeavor, Espy works to promote it in all of her classes. “Even a frustrating group activity in the English class is essential because it requires people to rely on each other and to responsibly contribute to the whole,” she explains. “Effective collaboration leads to brilliant things. I’m not interested in living on a private island, population: me.”

When she’s not spending time with her family, Espy enjoys reading, gardening, cycling, hiking, baking, sketching, drinking coffee, and eating chocolate. 

Will hopes that as his students move onto college and beyond, they will remember their time in his classes fondly. “I always want students to have a positive experience in a math class,” he says. “I think at Prep they will have many positive experiences in math classes, and I want my class to be one of them.”

If their first few years are any indication, this dynamic teacher twosome will be bringing joy and enthusiasm to their students for years to come.