Nola Reporter

Driven by her passion for educating others, Xavier University of  Louisiana alumna Antoinette Williams’ (‘20) devotion and skills have led  her to Thailand, where she will teach high school English. Her Thailand  teaching opportunity came after applying to the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE), a non-profit organization that offers participants study abroad  opportunities to foster their global and intercultural understanding.

While at Xavier, she participated in Xavier’s Center for  Intercultural and International Programs (CIIP) and was blessed with the  opportunity to study abroad in London. A political science major and  education minor, Williams completed classroom hours as a student teacher  and is excited to use her knowledge to develop the minds of Thailand  students.

“I’ve always been interested in the way education works not only in  the United States but in other countries, so to be able to participate  in this process is a dream come true,” said Williams.

Williams vividly remembers sixth grade as the pivotal year that  piqued her interest in education. After being placed in advanced  placement (AP) classes, she began recognizing the lack of diversity in  her classroom. An Uptown New Orleans native, she noticed she never had  classes with any children from her neighborhood, although they all  attended the same school. This continued until her sophomore year of  high school, with Williams continuing to only have classes with her same  sixth-grade group, even for elective courses. This separation also  created tension for her outside of school hours. It was difficult for  Williams to foster social connections with her neighborhood friends as  they often told her to hang out with her school friends.

“Even as a kid, I was trying to figure out who decided which  classrooms each person should be in,” said Williams. “I knew I wanted to  be the person who helped fix rules, laws, and policies that shape those  types of experiences, so I chose to major in political science. I also  chose an education minor to become more familiar with what actually  happens in the classroom.”

While Williams’ childhood experience motivated her to pursue  education, Xavier forged the pathway. The guidance of Dr. Pamela  Waldron-Moore, a Professor in Xavier’s Political Science department,  steered Williams in the direction of education and policy.

“As a first-generation college student, I didn’t know there were  Master’s policy programs. I accredit my trajectory post-Xavier to Dr.  Waldron-Moore because she introduced me to education policy programs and  helped me realize the career I really wanted to do,” said Williams.

Her Xavier experience was fulfilling, and she is grateful to Xavier’s  Political Science department for playing a vital role in her life.

“Shoutout to our department; it’s small but mighty. My Xavier  professors helped me with so much. We were a smaller department, so  whenever opportunities presented themselves, our professors knew who we  were and could say, ‘I think that’s something Antoinette would  be great for,’ said Williams. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve  wondered if I should participate in an opportunity and Dr. Waldron-Moore  always lent a listening ear.”

Williams’ first post-graduation job was due to a recommendation from  Dr. Russell Frazier, Department Head of Xavier’s Political Science  department. Dr. Frazier sent Williams’ resume for the job, and she  received the position shortly after. The position allowed Williams to  work for a council member and chief of staff and provided her with  extensive judicial and legislative experience.

“This was after graduation and at this point, my professors were not  obligated to help me, yet they still were. The political science  department was not only helpful during my undergraduate experience, but  still are to this day,” said Williams.

Xavier’s Education department also played a significant role in  Williams’ experience by ensuring she was ready for life once she left  campus.

“Dr. Jimmy Caldwell and Dr. Rachel Davis-Haley in the education  department were my rocks. They prepare students for life after Xavier,  whether it be graduate school or the workforce. I’m truly thankful to  them for that because I’ve been successful because of my preparation at  Xavier,” expressed Williams.

After Xavier, Williams obtained her master’s degree in Education  Policy from the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn), where she studied  education policy. She graduated early from the Ivy League institution  utilizing the work ethic and dedication she cultivated her entire  academic career. Williams’ two graduate school roommates were also  Xavier alums, aiding in her transition to graduate school. She rose to  UPenn’s workload challenges in part to her college preparation. She  found many topics covered in graduate school she had already learned  during her Xavier sophomore year. With her in-depth knowledge from  Xavier, she felt at ease academically.

“Xavier prepared me more than some of my counterparts in my graduate  program who went to illustrious universities. My degree from Xavier made  my ivy league education a piece of cake,” said Williams.

In addition to academia, Williams’ volunteering experience will also  support her teaching abroad in Thailand. She volunteered with the United  Teachers of New Orleans teacher’s union, setting the groundwork for her  advocacy in support of teachers and students. She is a board member for  Trinity Community Center, a local non-profit organization that serves  as an education hub to foster lifelong learning for under-resourced  children, youth, and families. She’s also an active member and former  vice president of McDonough 35 High School’s alumni association.

She participated in Mobilization at Xavier (M.A.X.), a coalition of  students who desire to promote social awareness and social  responsibility through community service. She also volunteered with  Habitat for Humanity and participated in multiple community engagement  projects with her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA). Williams’  dedication to community involvement stems from understanding the  positive outcomes of volunteering.

“Volunteer work has a larger impact on people than we realize. It  instills in you that whenever you’re doing great things for yourself,  you should remember, ‘for every two steps I take, I should reach and  pull someone else up,’” said Williams. “That mentality keeps good people  around you and keeps opportunities coming towards you. It’s a great  feeling when you’re in a position to give back because not everybody is  able to.”

Williams currently works as a fellow for Education Testing Services  (ETS), assembling policy recommendations for projects. She recently  presented a policy proposal at the National Assessment of Educational  Progress’ (NAEP) 10th Anniversary Internship Symposium,  representing the political science methodology she learned from Xavier.  She submitted policy recommendations on how to mitigate COVID-19's  impact on NAEP’s federal and state policies.

She looks forward to Thailand as the classroom experience will allow  her to witness the impact of education in real-time. After Thailand, she  plans to return to the U.S. to obtain her Ph.D. in literacy language  and culture or education policy. Thanks to her experience working  alongside council members, school board members, and state senators, she  is determined and encouraged to continue policy work to make a  difference in communities.

Williams is thankful to Xavier for shaping her career path and  instilling the skills she needed to be successful. Her perseverance,  drive and commitment to education and policy drives her forward as she  works to create the best practices for legislative and educational  systems.

Original source can be found here.