Alumnus Natilie Williams shares keys to college success at virtual event
Natilie Williams, international keynote speaker, author and Central Michigan University alumnus, shared her three key steps to "stay plugged in" as student.
On April 8, the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences' Diversity and Inclusion Ambassadors virtually hosted Williams as she presented "Making College Dreams a Reality: How to Find Your Place in Your First Year at CMU."
As a successful leader at CMU and beyond, Williams shared her key steps and offered strategies to get the most from CMU’s community.
After discussing her background, Williams began the seminar with the first key step: check your battery. Williams said, checking your battery and staying in-tune with one's self is more important now than ever since 2020 has made a lot of people need to stop and evaluate their mental health.
“We all want to do great things on campus,” Williams said. “But you can’t do any of those things if you don’t check your battery.”
Williams' second step is to find the plug, which she described as finding your people. She highlighted the importance of making connections with involved leaders on campus.
“Stay plugged into the campus and meet different people," Williams said. “It will help you create relationships that will change your life. So when you graduate from CMU you didn’t just get a degree, you got a community that will continue to be cultivated.”
Williams encouraged students to find like-minded individuals, but also said it’s essential to connect with people from diverse backgrounds that don’t look or think the same.
The three key steps to "stay plugged in" is to repeat the cycle. She said a new semester is always coming and it’s vital to keep doing all three steps continuously.
Williams closed the meeting by sharing her success in using these three steps, encouraging students to chase their goals.
“It did work for me, in ways that I couldn’t have imagined,” Williams said. “I challenge you all to research and see how you can make this part of your plan to reach your goals. I’m a living witness to the opportunities that CMU has.”
