In this series called In the Spotlight, we feature one staff member each month. In this edition, we spotlight Braska Williams, the director of the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation’s North Carolina Math/Science Education Network (NC-MSEN) Pre-College Program, a STEM-enrichment program for students in grades 6 through 12. Below he answers five questions.
📣 What I tell others about my job: I have the best job ever! I am helping middle and high school students to receive exposure to the largest university in North Carolina and careers/content in STEM. The majority of the students that I serve would NEVER step their foot on our campus without this work. Many of our students have never been to Raleigh! It’s changing their projectory generationally forever.
✏️ Favorite part of my job: Working with our students and parents — seeing our students get into college, reconnecting with them after they graduate from college and earn jobs, when they reach out and offer to donate or volunteer is so rewarding. In local stores, I have parents who walk up to me, introduce themselves, and thank me for our program’s impact on their families and children. We also have many multiple siblings who participate which is also a compliment that they trust us with their children.
🌴 What I do away from the job: I grew up on the coast of Virginia, so I love the beach and love to travel! We (my family and I ) took a cross-country trip (driving) to California. The beach is my happy place! Watching or attending NC State football and basketball games (men and women)! I am an avid NC State sports fan (I’m an NC State alum)! Spending time with my family – I have been married for 34 years (my wife and I met here at NC State) and we have two daughters, oldest is a graduate of the College of Education – class of 2022 (she’s currently in graduate school at the Ohio State University while our youngest is a senior who will graduate in December from the College of Engineering.)
💡 Something that recently inspired me: My oldest daughter – since her graduation in May 2022, she pursued admission into graduate school with full funding. After a two-year journey, she found it at the Ohio State University. Her journey involved numerous declines for admissions at other universities, admissions at an Ivy League school with very little funding, health challenges, but she stuck with it and earned her goal! I’m so proud of her, but we as a family learned the value of timing, endurance, and patience. She currently has a graduate assistantship working for the associate dean of the graduate school at Ohio State University. The position that she has was just created this academic year, and her current boss came to Ohio State last year. Two years, neither her position or her boss were in place. He and his team have welcomed her with open arms, and he has invited her to co-write and co-publish a research article together.
❤️ What I love about the College of Education: The people!! I love the people in our College. We are smaller, and I think as a result, we all know each other. There is definitely a family vibe here. As a 20-year employee, I’m seeing some long time colleagues retire which I’m happy for them but sad to see them leave.
- Categories:
